National Numeracy launched

A new independent charity, National Numeracy, has been launched, with the aim of challenging the UK's negative attitude to mathematics, and showing that poor maths ability should not be seen as a 'badge of honour'.

The National Numeracy charity will:
• Spark a new debate about numeracy and society’s attitude to maths and drive home the message that numeracy is vital for everyone.
• Work with organisations and individuals that have the ability to influence public opinion.
• Seek to ensure via the media that there is a wide understanding of why numeracy is important, how it has been neglected and the serious impact of this neglect and how it is possible to remedy the situation.
• Raise awareness of their aims and our work among the education and academic sectors, business and the workplace, and among other relevant charities and campaigning organisations.
• Lobby and work with ministers, politicians and officials to ensure that money is spent effectively on raising numeracy levels.
• Draw attention to anyone in the public eye who dismisses maths as unimportant or parades an “I can’t do maths” attitude. We won’t shy away from ‘naming and shaming’ individuals, although our intention will be not so much to shame people as to persuade them of the error of their ways! We would like to win converts and even new ambassadors for the numeracy cause. See how you can make a difference.
• Show that a negative attitude to maths – even among otherwise high achievers – is an insidious part of the same culture that allows millions of people to struggle with very low numeracy skills.

The National STEM Centre has nearly 1,000 teaching resources for maths freely available on the eLibrary. These resources are quality checked by teachers to ensure that they meet the quality needed for use in the classroom.

“The more we can raise the profile and importance of mathematics the better. In a fast changing technological world mathematical skills are essential to our economy and poor skills can have a very negative impact on an individual’s life. I welcome an organisation that intends to tackle the negative attitudes towards mathematics” Lydia Showan, Mathematics Specialist at the National STEM Centre.