<h2 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="crosshead">Subtraction action</h2>

The caveman stared at the mammoth steaks in front of him. There were ten of them, and five members of his family. But as maths had not yet been invented, he did not know how to share them out.

In fact, it seemed easier not to share them at all. "Grrr!" he yelled, and grabbed as many as he could. Then everyone else fought over what was left.

Fortunately, humans have moved on. But in Rishi Sunak's opinion, we have not moved far enough.

In his first speech of 2023, he said that everyone needs to be good at maths to succeed in the modern world. So all school pupils should study it until they are 18.

But in the Guardian, Simon Jenkins argues that maths is given more importance than it should be. He says that some people like it because answers to questions are either right or wrong, and results can easily be compared - not just between schools, but between countries. 

This, he says, has turned schools into "exam factories", while things like art and sport are neglected.

He disagrees with Sunak that countries have to teach maths well if they want economic success. The US has the world's most successful economy, but is ranked 38th in the world at maths.¹

Some people believe that the most important thing is just to make maths lessons more interesting.

One professor, JoAnne Growney, thinks that teaching maths and poetry together is one way of doing this.

Many forms of poetry use strict numbers of lines and syllables: the sonnetA 14-line poem with a fixed rhyme scheme. and haikuThe Japanese word derives from hokku which literally means "starting verse". Although Matsuo Bash? (1644-1694) is the most famous haiku poet, the form did not become known by that name until the 19th Century. are examples. And poets need to be as careful with words as mathematicians are with numbers.

In France, the two came together in a group called OULIPO² and created "the Fib". This is a type of poem based on the Fibonacci sequenceA number sequence in which each number is equal to the sum of the previous two numbers. . In it, the number of syllables in a line has to add up to the number in the two lines before it.

Yes: The key to the future lies in AIA computer programme that has been designed to think.  and quantum computing. Maths is essential for working with these, as well as for coding and analysing data. It also helps with problem-solving and abstract thinking.

No: Most people only need to use very basic maths in their daily lives, and since we now have calculators and computers to help us, numeracy is actually less important than ever before.    

Or... Everyone needs a balance of skills to lead a full life. Maths is very important, but so are all the other academic subjects, as well as extra-curricular activities such as sport and drama.   

Sonnet - A 14-line poem with a fixed rhyme scheme.

Haiku - The Japanese word derives from hokku which literally means "starting verse". Although Matsuo Bash? (1644-1694) is the most famous haiku poet, the form did not become known by that name until the 19th Century.

Fibonacci sequence - A number sequence in which each number is equal to the sum of the previous two numbers.

AI - A computer programme that has been designed to think.