Maths & English until 18: Would it have helped you?

GCSE students who thought they saw the end of maths will have to think again. The Prime Minister recently set out the government’s plans to enhance numeracy skills in England through a new “baccalaureate” scheme, requiring students to study Maths up until the age of 18. A-Levels would not be the only route; students would also be provided with alternatives that are yet to be revealed. The announcement was made in a speech by Rishi Sunak in which he set out his plans for the year ahead, including tackling the struggling economy and NHS, as well as immigration.

Whilst the timing of the announcement is rather ill-suited considering waves of strikes taking place amongst workers within the railway, NHS and education sectors, this is not a new move for the Conservatives. Since the days of Michael Gove as Education Minister the party has expressed their desire for such numeracy levels to be improved; according to government statistics, approximately eight million adults in England have the numeracy skills of primary school children. Which prompts the question, will extending the period of time that young people must study Maths truly solve the issue? many jobs, is a post-GCSE level really necessary for all jobs? The implementation of Maths in the post-16 curriculum runs the risk of further disillusioning the students who want the time to explore other subjects that they are keen to pursue in the future. As such, these other subjects are also merited: where would we be without sciences or languages, for example? for other students to get involved. From round two of the Freshers Fair to a range of screenings and ‘get to know each other’ activities, the involved societies of this week have gone above and beyond in organising engaging events for all. Despite this inclusivity, ‘Love Exeter’ is due to take place just after and during January exams for many students, leaving a

THE overall concept of Refreshers week sounds interesting and exciting and brings on a whole new range of activities for both first-year students and those above. These “refreshed” society events and stalls, aimed at those who missed out the first time around or those who want to rekindle their love for something, may seem like a good idea at first glance but their time placement creates some issues in their appeal, reception and attendance. Refreshers week, alongside the newly launched, ‘Love Exeter’ week, is set to take place from the 16th-22nd January, with a range of events from different societies, but how popular will it really be?

If Maths is a topic that some have struggled with throughout their whole school career, myself being one of them, will an extra two years make it any clearer? For myself, I doubt that it would have. I worked hard to pass my Maths GCSE and get all of the basic skills that I needed, so as to progress to study what I am truly passionate about. Whilst maths is undoubtedly a fundamental skill required in

The balance of time for students following a baccalaureate system would very likely change following this implementation. It is currently very difficult for 16-18year-olds undertaking A-Levels to hold jobs, volunteer or partake in important extracurricular activities, let alone manage more elements on top of this. Moreover, the government seems to ignore the fact that key life skills are absent from our education system, such as how to manage money and pay taxes, for example. Let alone the minimal discussions around discrimination, such as racism and sexism, that are pivotal in developing a more equal society. Perhaps a more systematic revision is needed. It is commonplace to dismiss ourselves for being bad at Maths, but would we do this so easily for our literacy skills? Such hopelessness around the topic seems to indicate that our current curriculum needs improving first, so as to give students the confidence in using Maths in a future career.

The general demographic of ‘Love Exeter’ is first-year students, but there are many opportunities significant absence of a range of potential attendees. Though there is the chance that those having exams can use the week’s events as down-time and a break from neverending revision, most will not take up this offer, as their degrees are significantly more important. Moreover, the events are either during the day, when students will be attending classes or working in the library, or during the evening, when many will either want to continue their studies or be at home, relaxing alone. Consequently, there will most likely be a strong lack of older students, and maybe first-years too. From the beginning of term, the majority of first-year students are set to have summative module exams, whether they’re online or in-person. Therefore, much like other year groups, most first-year students will be focused on their exams instead of ‘Love Exeter’. Unlike its September counterpart, this Refreshers week may be slightly unsuccessful in its turn out.

If Maths is to be compulsory until 18, reform to its teaching and the training and hiring of more teachers is first necessary. Once this groundwork is set, and the system is made more comprehensive, perhaps then all students can be granted the same amount of choice over their academic futures, as opposed to being stuck in a floundering system until 18.

As well as the dreaded January exams, many may not attend due to a general unawareness of ‘Love Exeter’ itself. The week appears to have slipped under the radar for many students and with Fixr being the main site for University events, there currently appears to be a lack of socials on the website itself, aside from the official ‘Love Exeter’ postings. Though all the events are listed on the Students’ Guild’s own website, the week remains unknown to many students, which could impact its reception unless more postings are made about the week.

Overall, the potential lack of attendees and appeal to all years diminishes ‘Love Exeter’ to an event consisting of only free tote bags and pens, rather than an opportunity for all year groups to come together and unite in their joint interests of particular societies.