Glasgow education leader to head maths task force

A new task force to champion the importance of maths is to be chaired by Glasgow’s director of education, it has been announced.

Maureen McKenna, who is a former maths teacher, will chair a new group set up in the wake of poor results in the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy, which showed standards in numeracy in Scotland may be slipping.

The group forms part of Making Maths Count, a Government-led programme with the aim of improving maths and numeracy attainment in primary and secondary school, and addressing poor perceptions of the subject among the public.

Announcing the appointment in a parliamentary

 debate, Education Secretary Angela Constance said she hoped the work would reduce the attainment gap between well off and deprived children.

“Maths and numeracy skills are vital to our future economy and we need to create a much more positive attitude to maths across our society as an essential skill for learning, life and work.

“This Making Maths Count group will focus on a range of actions to raise the profile of maths, to challenge attitudes and perceptions and ensure its importance is recognised,” she said.