Carol Vorderman calls for maths until 18

Glamorous television personality Carol Vorderman has called for maths to be taught to all pupils until they turn 18.

The 50-year-old, who made a name for herself in the ‘Maths Corner’ on the Channel 4’s well-loved Countdown programme, led a government review into the importance of maths for children. According to the report published last week, nearly 50 per cent of all pupils fail to achieve a grade C in maths GCSE, and only 15 per cent of teenagers go on to study the subject at AS and A level.

The review found that more than 300,000 16-year-olds fail to reach a high enough level in the subject to be able to function properly in the working environment. Many universities and employers complain that school leavers are not up to scratch in maths.

Vorderman said: “Mathematics is a critically important subject. It is a language without which the entire global infrastructure is struck dumb.

“This report does not make comfortable reading. It is aspirational but this does not mean making maths 'harder' for everyone; it means making the teaching better and what is taught much more suitable for those who are learning it.”

Education secretary Michael Gove, who commissioned the report along with Prime Minister David Cameron, said: “British 15-year-olds' mathematics skills are now more than two whole academic years behind 15-year-olds in Shanghai and the last decade has seen us plummet down the international league tables in both maths and science.

“This comprehensive report, looking at all the important areas, will be of great help as the government continues its drive to equip our children with the skills that they need to compete with their global contemporaries and thrive in the 21st century.”