Having had an argument with a friend, this is my response to him and everyone else who does not consider Maths to be an essential subject to be taught in schools….
For some children, mathematics is the subject they love. For others, it is the lesson they dread most. Some parents may even wonder why their child needs to learn algebra, fractions, geometry or equations when they are unlikely to use them in everyday adult life.
The answer is simple: mathematics is not just about numbers. It is about teaching people how to think.
For parents and teachers, that makes mathematics one of the most important subjects a child can learn.
Every time a child works out a problem, recognises a pattern, estimates an answer, compares quantities or checks whether something makes sense, they are developing skills that extend far beyond the mathematics classroom.
Maths teaches children to reason logically. It teaches them that problems can be broken down into smaller parts, that evidence matters and that there can be a process for reaching a reliable answer.
Those are skills that are valuable throughout life.
Mathematics is everywhere
A child may ask why they need to learn percentages when they will never become a mathematician.
Then they grow up and encounter a 20 per cent discount in a shop, an interest rate on a mortgage, a tax calculation, a pension contribution, a wage increase or a household energy bill.
Fractions appear in cooking. Measurement is essential when decorating a home. Understanding averages helps us interpret information. Probability helps us understand risk. Graphs and statistics help us make sense of everything from household finances to election results and scientific research.
Even something as apparently simple as checking whether a bargain really is a bargain requires mathematical thinking.
And in an age when children are surrounded by statistics, graphs, percentages and claims presented through social media, numeracy is also a defence against being misled.
Someone who cannot understand percentages or statistics can be particularly vulnerable to exaggerated claims, misleading graphs and deliberately distorted information.
Maths built the modern world
It is easy to forget just how deeply mathematics is embedded in civilisation.
Engineers use mathematics to design bridges, buildings, aircraft, roads, engines and computer systems. Architects rely on geometry and measurement. Scientists use mathematical models to understand everything from climate systems to disease.
Doctors and medical researchers use statistics to evaluate treatments and understand risks. Economists analyse enormous quantities of data. Meteorologists use mathematical models to forecast weather.
The technology children use every day is also fundamentally mathematical.
Computers operate through mathematics. Encryption relies on mathematics. GPS depends upon calculations involving satellites and time. Artificial intelligence is built upon mathematical concepts, algorithms and statistics.
Modern communications, banking, manufacturing and transport could not function without people who understand mathematics.
Some of the most important jobs depend upon it
Consider the range of professions that require strong mathematical foundations.
Engineers calculate forces, stresses, materials and dimensions.
Scientists measure, model and analyse.
Doctors and medical researchers interpret statistics, calculate dosages and evaluate evidence.
Architects use geometry, scale and measurement to design buildings.
Electricians need mathematics to work safely with electrical systems.
Builders and tradespeople calculate measurements, quantities, angles and costs.
Computer scientists and programmers rely heavily on mathematical and logical thinking.
Accountants and economists work with numbers every day.
Pilots and navigators depend upon calculations involving distance, speed, direction, altitude and time.
Teachers need mathematical understanding to educate the next generation.
Even professions that do not appear particularly mathematical frequently involve budgeting, data analysis, measurement, scheduling, forecasting or decision-making.
A child does not necessarily need to know which career they will eventually choose. They therefore need a broad mathematical education that keeps as many doors open as possible.
But maths is about more than careers
Perhaps the greatest mistake we can make is to justify mathematics solely by telling children that they will need it to get a job.
Mathematics develops intellectual habits.
When a child attempts a difficult problem, gets the wrong answer, examines their working and tries again, they are learning something extremely important: being wrong is not the end of the process.
They are learning perseverance.
They are learning to identify mistakes.
They are learning that complicated problems can be approached systematically.
They are learning that an answer should be tested rather than simply accepted.
These habits can be transferred to almost every area of life.
Parents have an important role
Parents do not need to be mathematicians to help their children develop confidence with maths.
Everyday life provides countless opportunities.
Ask children to work out how much shopping will cost. Let them measure ingredients when cooking. Ask them to estimate how long a journey will take. Discuss pocket money and saving. Get them involved in comparing prices.
Most importantly, try not to communicate the idea that mathematics is something mysterious that only certain people are naturally capable of understanding.
Statements such as “I was never any good at maths” may seem harmless, but children can interpret them as evidence that mathematical ability is something you either possess or do not possess.
It isn’t.
Children develop mathematical understanding through teaching, practice, experimentation and persistence.
Teachers are doing far more than teaching arithmetic
A good mathematics lesson is not simply about getting children to memorise multiplication tables or perform calculations.
It is about developing understanding.
Why does a method work?
Can the child explain their answer?
Can they find another way of solving the problem?
Can they recognise when an answer cannot possibly be correct?
Can they apply what they have learned to an unfamiliar situation?
Those questions help turn mathematical knowledge into mathematical reasoning.
And that distinction matters.
A child who has memorised a procedure may be able to complete a familiar exercise. A child who understands the mathematics can potentially apply that knowledge to a completely new problem.
We should make maths a subject children understand, not fear
There will inevitably be moments when mathematics is difficult. That is not a reason to retreat from it.
Difficulty is part of learning.
Children should be encouraged to see a challenging mathematical problem not as evidence that they are “bad at maths”, but as an opportunity to work something out.
Parents and teachers have a shared responsibility here.
We should celebrate curiosity, persistence and improvement rather than simply rewarding the children who produce the fastest answer.
Because mathematics is not merely a collection of rules written in a textbook.
It is a language used to describe the world.
It is a tool for solving problems.
It is a foundation for science, engineering, medicine, technology and economics.
It is a means of understanding evidence and recognising nonsense.
And perhaps most importantly, it teaches children something they will need throughout their lives:
When confronted with a difficult problem, stop, think, break it down, test the evidence and keep working until you understand it.
That is a lesson worth teaching every child and your friends.
