Maths Memos
ACME Conference
23 April 2015
by
ACME
Are you interested in mathematics education policy issues? Do
you want to discuss them with the great and the good?
ACME is holding its conference on 9 July
2015. The theme of this year's conference is
'Mathematically Thinking'. During the conference delegates
will be encouraged to discuss the policy changes needed in the next
5 years.
The conference is a key part of ACME's work and is a chance for
the mathematics community and others to hear from ministers and
shadow ministers and to discuss issues with them and other
influential figures.
The conference delegates will include ministers and
parliamentarians, classroom teachers, academics, policy makers,
education researchers and others with an interest in mathematical
education.
Do you want a chance to have your say?
A Question Time panel chaired by Warwick Mansell will allow all
delegates a chance to put their questions to those involved in
mathematics in various ways.
The panellists include Sharon Witherspoon, Director, Nuffield
Foundation, Mike Warriner, Director of Engineering at Google, Sue
Johnston-Wilder, University of Warwick and Professor Richard
Craster, Head of Department of Mathematics at Imperial College
London.
So, if this seems like an interesting prospect, please sign up
here!
What do you have to look forward to?
Here are some quotes from key speakers in previous years. We've
aligned these with some of ACME's current positions on key issues in
mathematics education to give you a flavour of how they
relate to ACME's current work.
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ACME blueprint
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"I know I don't have to convince
anybody in this room about the importance of mathematics nor to
explain why mathematics is a universal entitlement for every young
person rather than just a minority pursuit for the few, why maths
is vital for all of our futures and how maths is already governing
the world around us and what we do." Elizabeth
Truss, 2013
"We need to be fostering a far
deeper understanding of mathematical concepts so that we don't turn
out yet another generation of adults who say they simply don't like
maths." Karen
Mills, 2012
"Fundamental to children's future is
a basic competency in mathematics, and this level of competency
drives the competitive nature of the nation and provides future
life opportunities for students." Andrew
Hall, 2011
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Maths for all to 18
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"We should demand, like the rest of
the world, that everybody who is in full-time education does some
mathematics post-16. We've tried all sorts of ingenious ways around
it for decades, nothing has happened, so we need to be a bit more
brutal." Professor Alison
Wolf, 2012
"Studying mathematics up to the age
of 18 is the norm in so many other countries, and we need to catch
up. There will be resource implications, particularly in terms of
numbers of suitably qualified teachers, and we need to get the
structure right. But, if other countries can do it, then why not
us?" Professor
Dame Julia Higgins, 2011
"It is clear that we need
greater incentives in the system so that more than one in five
students continue with their maths studies in some way, shape or
form post-16." Kevin Brennan,
2012
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International
comparisons and mathematics education
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"I don't have any objections per se
about comparing the performance of our pupils at that age with the
performance of other pupils in other countries. It's what we do
with those comparisons that I think is the really important thing."
Professor
Jeremy Hodgen, 2013
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The maths curriculum
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"We say, 'Oh it's the Curriculum.'
It's not the Curriculum. The Curriculum has to be mediated by the
teachers and the teachers have to be involved in it." Professor
Celia Hoyles, 2013
"We live in a fast-moving world and
our students need to understand mathematics - that is some
appreciation of the deep structure and connectivity within the
subject - if they are to choose to use it in as yet unknown
situations. But such understanding takes time to develop." Jackie
Fairchild, 2011
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Maths education policy
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"ACME continues to be a robust and
rigorous voice championing the cause of mathematical education and
as an independent committee I know that what you do is provide a
comprehensive and effective challenge to politicians when it comes
to a whole range of issues from curriculum design through to
professional development." Stephen
Twigg, 2013
"Everyone has his or her own
personal experience of schools, teachers and how they were taught
mathematics. But while anecdotal evidence has its place, it cannot
be the basis for policy." Professor Stephen
Sparks, 2012
"ACME believes that it's important
for the mathematics community to work together to ensure that the
curriculum is fit for purpose, promotes effective, and enjoyable,
learning and teaching of mathematics, and prepares young people
well for employment and for further, and higher, education." Professor
Dame Julia Higgins, 2011
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Teaching
and professional development
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"Raising the quality of teaching by
focusing simply on admissions to initial teacher training is only a
small component of a much bigger picture. We also need to focus on
those currently in teaching now and it's through Continuing
Professional Development, CPD, that the skills and expertise of
teachers will be enhanced and sharpened." Professor Dame
Julia Higgins, 2010
"Critically what I believe is that
teachers should see themselves, not as separate from the rest of
the academic and intellectual life of the nation but fully
integrated into it and that means that we need to have successful
programmes of continuous professional development." Michael
Gove, 2010
"Every single trainee teacher I meet
is very concerned about how they do their CPD, what opportunities
they're given, how they can achieve the best for their pupils
within their lessons." Dean
Rowley, 2013
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