TikTok finance star Poku Banks slams Rishi Sunak’s maths plan and explains what teens SHOULD be learning instead
THE idea of making kids study maths to 18 when we don’t even teach them the fundamentals of budgeting is misguided.
Rishi Sunak thinks maths will solve all of Britain’s economic problems, but how about teaching our kids the basics first – taxes, credit and investing?
We are facing a cost of living crisis yet most youngsters don’t know how to budget, avoid debt, save or even what their payslip should look like.
I attained an A* at GCSE maths, and an A level, yet would not solely attribute my accomplishments in the workspace to maths.
A lot of the complicated, in-depth maths I learned has no value in real life.
Instead of focusing on teaching young people complicated equations, why don’t we make lessons more applicable to the real world – also with sessions on how to set up a business, keep on top of your finances and invest wisely?
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There will always be a need for maths in specialised jobs such as accounting, engineering and coding and there are naturally talented kids who will be drawn to those roles.
But to force people who prefer more creative-based subjects to continue to study mechanics and statistics until 18 could be overwhelming, especially if on top of three A levels they are already doing.
For other children, tech such as ChatGPT is developing at such a rate that it will soon be able to work out anything for them.
We’ve all got calculators on our phones.
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Extra maths lessons will not make the country smart.
What about creativity? The UK prides itself on entrepreneurs, and they’ve not all got maths degrees.
There are children who just can’t get their head around the subject, and forcing them to study it until 18 could stop them continuing their education and possibly cause more harm than good.
If you do well in your field, you can outsource.
I studied accounting but employ an accountant to do my year-end accounts.
Why? Because he has dedicated 20 years to it and he’s got the time to sort it out.
Being a jack of all trades can steal the focus from your goals.
Rishi has admitted there’s not enough maths teachers for his plan.
If he goes ahead, existing teachers will be spread so thinly there’s a risk they will leave the profession, and then what state will education be in?
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It’s admirable that Rishi is trying to improve this country’s prospects.
But he’s going about it all the wrong way. Focus on making it applicable, before anything else.