§ Mr. ButcherTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the results of the International Association for Educational Progress tests with special reference to the capabilities of 13-year-olds to multiply 9.2 by 2.5; and if she will make a statement. [36230]
§ Mr. PaiceThe tests to which my hon. Friend refers were conducted in 1988. The results showed that English 13-year-olds were comparatively strong in geometry and problem solving and weaker in arithmetic.
Since 1988, we have introduced a number of major reforms. Among these, the recent revisions to the mathematics national curriculum have increased the emphasis on numeracy skills, particularly in the primary phase; our network of numeracy centres will continue to focus on this key skill, helping teachers to use methods that work.