In her opinion piece (This government’s latest education innovation? Shutting poorer students out of university, 21 March), Hillary Gyebi-Ababio mentions the plans by the universities minister, Michelle Donelan, to stop loans to students without GCSE maths and English. This is a particularly pernicious step, even given the uninspiring nature of the current Tory government.
The proposal is arbitrary at best. At worst it is an attack on young people from the poorest backgrounds. It is well accepted that pupils living in disadvantaged areas are more likely to be taught by inexperienced maths teachers or someone without a subject degree. May I point the minister to research by the Nuffield Foundation (2018), the Social Market Foundation (2016) and others.
A more positive approach would be for the minister to work with her schools’ colleagues to tackle the shortage of qualified maths and other teachers in schools? After all, mathematical education benefits all citizens, not just those going to university. Knowledge of maths helps one spot patterns in information, analyse systematically, solve problems, interpret data and employ critical thinking and logical reasoning.
Sally Bigwood
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
