Mathematics ace Bobby Seagull to address influential Lords committee
Leading experts in maths education, including University Challenge star Bobby Seagull, will address a House of Lords Committee examining the current state of mathematics education in the UK.
The Science and Technology Committee, chaired by Lord Mair, is examining several key issues, including why a significant proportion of pupils fail maths at GCSE; challenges in teacher recruitment; and the future of the maths curriculum in an increasingly AI-driven world.
The one-off evidence session, on Tuesday (March 4), will consider maths education in schools, before turning to adult numeracy and the everyday maths skills needed at work and home.
On mathematics education in schools, the committee will hear from Lynne McClure OBE, Chair of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences; Conrad Wolfram, Wolfram Research and Charlie Stripp MBE, CEO of Mathematics Education Innovation.
On post-19 education, adult numeracy and the maths skills needed for life, the committee will take evidence from: Alex Stevenson, Deputy Director, Learning and Work Institute; Sam Sims, CEO of National Numeracy; Bobby Seagull, mathematics teacher, broadcaster and writer.
A growing number of students are taking A-level maths, but approximately 40 per cent of students failed their GCSE maths in 2024. Peers want to know why this is, and whether the current maths curriculum prepares students for future technological challenges.
They also want to look at how different regions and groups of students perform in maths, and what the UK can learn from high-performing countries like Singapore. The committee will also focus on gaps in adult numeracy and how this affects the workforce and recruitment issues as well as the practical use of maths in everyday contexts, including the understanding of data and financial literacy.
The meeting at the Houses of Parliament will be available to watch live or later on Parliament TV. It is also being livestreamed on X/Twitter.
Bobby Seagull from East London, who won a scholarship to Eton, is a campaigner for better maths literacy as well as being a part-time maths teacher, author and broadcaster. He shot to fame after appearing on University Challenge in 2017, while completing a teacher training course.