‘When will I ever use this maths?’ was a comment I heard a LOT when I was in the classroom. To be honest there were times when I would (secretly) agree, especially for someone with low confidence when just grasping the basics was enough. Here are a few thoughts round this: 

Being numerate increases life skills:

Not being able to read has a stigma attached, which not being able to do maths doesn’t have (for some it’s a badge of honour). But the benefits of being numerate are wide reaching. From managing your own money, knowing if you are being ripped off, calculating the paint needed when decorating or scaling up or down a recipe, we use various elements of maths in everyday life. 

It provides us with wealth:

A report in 2014 (see source at the bottom of the post) found that poor numeracy levels were costing the UK economy over £20 billion a year. £8.8 billion of that was for individuals. Some of the reasons will be budgeting skills, understanding financial products and the jobs that you can get.

It’s not always the topic that matters:

The reason for learning some areas of maths, is not necessarily because of the topic, other skills come into play for example, problem solving or spatial skills. Maths is not preparing them for a specific job whatever they want to do in the future, it is preparing them for a job that probably doesn’t exist at the moment!

A calculator is as good as the user:

Yes your phone might have a calculator, but what is inputted is what’s important. Did you miss a zero, and do you notice that the answer just doesn’t seem correct? Do you know what to type in? A calculator is a good tool, just like a trowel, but it is the skill of the user that will define the end result.

Discussing these points with your child, especially if you are not confident in maths yourself will help them with the motivation to learn. If you decide to increase your maths confidence and skills it will have positive benefits on what they decide to do. If it improves their future why would you not?

I will finish with a quote from Andreas Schleicher of the OECD

“Good numeracy is the best protection against unemployment, low wages and poor health.”

Source: https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/cost-outcomes-associated-low-levels-adult-numeracy-uk-2014