Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to a report from the OECD examining the provision of post-16 maths.
“The problem is that the range of subjects studied by students reduces dramatically at 16 meaning that many do not continue with subjects such as maths. We would welcome greater flexibility for incorporating numeracy and literacy, but this has got to be done in the right way, so that it is manageable for colleges and sixth forms while being in the best interests of students. This is not the case with the current mandatory resit policy for GCSE maths and English, which can be a demoralising experience for students and a huge undertaking for providers.
“We agree with the need for a more accessible mathematics programme at 14-16 and have long called for the government to consider creating a new qualification that better allows students to demonstrate practical literacy and numeracy.”