A class act; pounds 9m boost to schools for maths.
SCHOOLS are to get an extra pounds 9million to boost maths standards.The Government announced the cash bonus yesterday as Education Secretary David Blunkett launched Maths Year 2000 in London.
And it's another super boost to Scottish schools who are already queuing up to take part in the Daily Record's Free Maths Stuff for Schools campaign.
The cash, part of a pounds 64million package to fund the national numeracy strategy, will go towards new equipment and providing intensive training to 27,000 teachers in schools with the "biggest challenges".
Mr Blunkett was joined by Prime Minister Tony Blair, TV brainbox Carol Vorderman and children's presenter Johnny Ball.
He said the scheme aimed to end the national fear of figures.
He said: "Maths Year 2000 will make maths fun and accessible for everyone. And it will support the efforts of primary teachers to drive up standards in maths"
He said the Government would push home the message that better maths means better jobs and more money: "Poor numeracy is even more of a problem than poor literacy when it comes to finding and keeping jobs.
"Good maths is the bedrock of the essential technology that will shape our new millennium."
Maths Year 2000 will see parents given practical advice for how to help children practise numeracy in the home through a special booklet, called It All Adds Up. And the Government has pledged to get three quarters of 11-year-olds reaching the expected standards for their age in maths by 2002.
Carol Vorderman, famous for her feats of mental arithmetic on Channel 4's Countdown, said: "We live in a global market now.
"The Internet is very important, computing is very important but, even more, the skills of the mathematician are important for the future of the country."
Keep collecting the tokens for Free Maths Stuff for Schools and your school could be counting on great success.
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
|---|---|
| Author: | Nugent, Emma |
| Publication: | Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Date: | Jan 26, 2000 |
| Words: | 314 |
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