At this year’s Liberal Democrat Party Conference, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has partnered with AQA to hold a public panel discussion: Beyond English and Maths: literacy and numeracy as fundamental life skills.
Literacy and numeracy skills are critical to a child’s development and their progression through the education system, offering children the keys to engage with subjects across the curriculum and supporting the development of other skillsets, including interpersonal, creative and technical skills. After leaving education, literacy and numeracy are key foundations to navigate all areas of life, from reading medical information to understanding financial data, as well as being critical to building a successful and fulfilling career.
Earlier this year, the Prime Minister announced his vision to extend Maths provision for all to age 18 and ensure every young person has the skills they need to succeed. Currently, the UK’s numeracy levels are significantly below the average for a developed country; 49% of the UK’s working-age population have the expected numeracy levels of a primary school leaver. Moreover, recent EPI research finds that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have an adverse effect on pupils’ learning, particularly in maths and particularly for the most disadvantaged pupils. Given the significance of these skills, their relative lack in the UK and the recent policy focus in this area, it is timely to consider what education policy should look like to effectively raise standards for all and tackle current inequalities in outcomes.
This panel will bring together policy makers, school leaders and other education stakeholders to consider what the next steps should be to improve attainment for all, particularly the most vulnerable. Speakers will discuss the current successes and challenges; the evidence for future policy reform; and the role of assessment in raising literacy and numeracy standards, recognising that the current assessment and accountability system can have washback effects on curriculum and pedagogy.
We are delighted to welcome Rob Eastaway, Maths Inspiration; Nicki Mattin, Thurston Community College; Reza Schwitzer, AQA and Munira Wilson MP to the panel. Natalie Perera, EPI’s Chief Executive will chair the session.
** Note: This event will take place in the conference secure zone. To access the secure zone you will need to obtain a pass directly from the Liberal Democrat Party.**
