MATHS IN THE PAPERS May 2002

Primary schools are failing to meet maths and english targets
Education

The Department for Education wants 85% of children to reach the required standard in maths and English by 2004. However, results from last year's tests show the maths pass rate dropping by 1 percentage point to 72%. Primary schools will be provided with £192m for literacy and numeracy in each of the next two years in order to reach the targets by 2004.

The Independent 3/5/02

More money for education in prisons
Education, Crime

20,000 prisoners are currently studying for qualifications in prisons throughout the UK, in an effort to reduce the number of re-offenders. More money is to be made available for libraries and prison workshops, but the emphasis will be on boosting the skills of the 70,000 inmates who are in UK prisons at any one time.

Guardian 7/5/02

Code breaker at Bletchley Park during World War II dies
Obituary

Professor William Tutte has died in Canada at the age of 84. He made a significant contribution to code breaking at Bletchley Park during World War II. After the war, he returned to academic studies at Cambridge before moving to Canada.

Guardian 10/5/02

Link shown between poor literacy and numeracy skills and becoming a hardened criminal
Education, Crime

Poor literacy and numeracy skills could contribute to children become hardened criminals in later life, according to a recent report by the Basic Skills Agency. A significant link between poor basic skills and repeat offending is most noticeable in men and younger people. Adults under 30 who lacked basic literacy skills were 8% more likely to be questioned by police than literate adults from similar backgrounds. £20 million is to be spent on prisoner education and motivation.

The Independent 17/5/02

Mother jailed because her two daughters played truant
Education, Crime

Patricia Amos, the mother jailed for allowing her two teenage daughters to play truant, is seeking bail pending an appeal against her 60-day jail sentence. It is thought to be the first time a custodial sentence has been imposed under new court powers gained in November 2000.

The Independent 15/5/02

Thousands of 'bite-size' courses are being offered
Education

Co-ordinated by the Learning and Skills Council, thousands of 'bite-size' courses are being offered over the next month to encourage participation in 'lifelong learning'. The free courses, in diverse subjects will be held in accessible locations such as pubs and supermarkets. In the UK, 8m people are not qualified to NVQ2 or GCSE level, and 20% of adults 'lack functional literacy'. This puts the UK near the bottom of the league tables in a survey of 13 countries.

The Observer 19/5/02

Odd Numbers
Statistics

56,178,000 tourists visited Spain in 2000

220 litres of water are needed to produce a cup of orange juice in Spain.

Last year Peruvians consumed 1,000,000,000 litres of soft drinks.

The most expensive advert ever made is BA's '21^st Century Air Travel' ad, which cost £2,250,000

There are 7,900,000,000,000 unredeemed frequent flyer miles in circulation.

Us Airways will exchange 10,000,000 frequent flyer miles for a trip on the first private craft into space in 2004.

The distance from earth's surface to 'space' is 1200 miles.

The Observer Magazine 19/5/02

Pornography screened during AS-level mock exams
Education

13 minutes of internet pornography were accidentally screened during AS-level mock exams at Marlborough College. Maths teacher Richard Jowett, invigilating the exam, failed to notice the naked images until one of the pupils screamed and ran from the room.

Guardian 21/5/02

Anxiety and stress in 11 year olds
Education

About 600,000 primary pupils took tests in maths, English and science last week, and fears are growing that the pressure on national tests and causing anxiety and stress in many 11 year-olds. Cases have been recorded of children sobbing, feeling sick and refusing to go to school. Childline has sounded a note of caution, and advises that children should balance study with leisure time.

TES archive 24/5/02

Odd Numbers
Statistics

60% of the world's cork supply comes from Portugal

There are 130 indigenous ethnic groups in Cameroon

Poland banned corporal punishment in schools 219 years ago.

50% of Swedes are naturally blonde.

250 pints of beer are drunk per head annually in Eire

50% of science graduates are female.

The Observer Magazine 26/5/02

Girls miss out on top grades in maths
Education

Girls may be missing out on top grades in maths, because teachers see them as less self-confident than their male peers. More girls are entered for intermediate level GCSE than the higher level, according to Jannette Elwood in her inaugural lecture as a Professor of Queen's University, Belfast. This may be because their teachers feel they aren't confident enough to do well at the higher level.

TES archive 31/5/02

Applications rise for University but still need more to reach targets
Education

353,314 applications have been received by Ucas for university places. Of these 292,193 applicants are under 21. The overall rise in applications is 2%. The government wants to see 50% of 18-30 year olds in higher education by 2010. The figure is currently 41.5%. Applications need to increase by 3% per year for the target to be met. Applications to study maths are currently down by 11.6%, physics down by 9.2%, information systems down by 9.1% and computer science by 5.5%. Overall, applications are up by nearly 8000, with an increase in mature students of 5%.

Guardian 31/5/02

Higher grades for Sixth formers who avoid harder subjects
Education

Maths experts are claiming that sixth form students are avoiding harder subjects at A level, in order to gain higher grades.

TES archive 31/5/02

Exam statistics
Education

Over 7.5m exam results were issued last year, This figure is expected to rise this year, with 50,000 examiners required to mark papers.

TES archive 31/5/02

Weather Lotteries
Education

Over 150 schools are running weekly 'weather lotteries' in order to raise funds. Using recorded temperatures in Corfu, Istanbul, Tenerife, Innsbruck, Edinburgh and Stockholm, winning numbers must match the last digits of the Fahrenheit temperatures. Parents who have four or more matching numbers win cash prizes.

TES archive 31/5/02