On the day that pupils across the country are nervously finding out their GCSE results, they have been given a stark warning by the Government.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has decided this is the best time to tell kids that poor maths skills is nothing to "brag about" and said it was unacceptable for children to simply excuse poor performance with "being bad with numbers".
Sending a message to schools, teachers, parents and pupils, she says she wants to dispel the "complacent" and "common myth" that some people were gifted with a "maths brain" and others not, insisting that anyone can boost their numeracy skills with the right support.
Students receive their GCSE results today
Ms Morgan has overseen radical reforms to GCSEs since being appointed as Michael Gove's successor last summer.
Every pupil will have to study the five core academic subjects of English, maths, science, languages and geography or history up to GCSE level in the future - currently only four out of ten pupils do.
And every pupil will have to achieve a C at maths GCSE or have to continue learning the subject as a "Core Maths" qualification up to the age of 18.
Read more:
How a higher leaving age and Michael Gove's reforms mean the GCSE is struggling for relevance
GCSE results 2015 live: Pupils across Britain receive results
Teachers and parents criticise Nicky Morgan's crackdown on 'coasting schools'
Every pupil must study five core subjects and examiners make it harder to get top grades
Writing for MailOnline on GCSE day today, she said: "I want to dispel a common myth: there is no such thing as having a 'maths brain'. With the right support we can all get better at maths. For too long, being bad with numbers has been something to brag about.
"Unlike other subjects in school, maths is perceived as something you either can or can’t do. It should not be like that."
