A House of Lords committee is calling for a national drive to improve maths skills across all generations, warning that poor numeracy is holding people back in education, employment and everyday life.
More than eight million adults in the UK have numeracy skills below the level expected of a nine-year-old, prompting calls for urgent action to tackle what has been described as an intergenerational cycle of poor maths skills.
In a new report, Making it Count: Numeracy for Life, the cross-party House of Lords Numeracy for Life Committee sets out a series of recommendations aimed at improving numeracy from early childhood through to retirement.
The committee warns that difficulties with maths can have far-reaching consequences, affecting people's ability to manage household finances, buy a home, understand health information, support their children's education and prepare for retirement.
Poor numeracy also has wider implications for the UK's economy, potentially limiting employment opportunities, earning capacity and productivity.
While improvements in maths attainment among school pupils and adults are welcomed, the report highlights continuing inequalities and warns that children from areas of high deprivation are more likely to struggle with mathematics.
The report raises particular concerns about the prospects of young people who fail to achieve the required standard in GCSE mathematics.
It warns that a two-tier education system risks emerging, with lower-achieving pupils becoming trapped in a cycle of repeated GCSE resits.
Only one in five 16 to 19-year-olds who resit GCSE mathematics achieve a Grade 4, according to the report.
The committee says this can create significant barriers to further education and employment, while restricting future earning potential and opportunities to participate fully in society.
Among its proposals, the committee wants parents and carers to receive more guidance on developing young children's numeracy skills, matching the support already available around literacy and reading.
In schools, it calls on the Government to maintain investment in recruiting specialist maths teachers and ensure teachers receive training to recognise dyscalculia. The aim is to provide early intervention and targeted support for pupils with the condition.
For young people aged 16 to 19, the report calls for further education colleges and other post-16 providers to receive sufficient funding and specialist teaching capacity to deliver effective GCSE mathematics resits.
The committee also wants to improve access to numeracy support for adults in employment and beyond.
It recommends introducing a 'no wrong door' approach, requiring public-facing services such as jobcentres, GP surgeries, housing services and probation services to routinely signpost people to appropriate numeracy support.
For older people, the report highlights the importance of opportunities to retrain, prepare financially for retirement and develop the skills needed to manage health conditions.
Alongside its recommendations, the committee is calling for a National Year of Numeracy to raise awareness of the importance of maths and celebrate its value across all age groups.
