Use of calculators in primary schools to be reviewed

Schools Minister Nick Gibb today said the use of calculators in primary schools would be looked at as part of the National Curriculum Review.

He warned that too many children had come to rely on calculators – and that their mental and written arithmetic had suffered as a result. He said calculators should only be introduced once pupils had a thorough grounding in basic maths, including knowing times tables by heart.

Mr Gibb pointed to evidence from around the world. In the best-performing education systems calculators are used only in the equivalent of upper primary schools.

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