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Government Sets Tough Numeracy Targets
The government is to formally launch its task force to improve numeracy in schools. The education secretary David Blunkett is expected to encourage schools to concentrate on traditional methods such as mental arithmetic and the learning of tables by heart instead of reliance on calculators.
Last year 54% of children achieved the expected levels of numeracy in national tests. Labour hopes to increase this figure to 75% by 2002.
A leading education academic, Professor David Reynolds of Newcastle University, has been appointed to head the task force that will examine traditional teaching methods. Professor Reynolds and his team will look into the traditional way maths is taught in Far Eastern countries like Taiwan where numeracy levels are high.
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Stephen Byers: "Tough targets"
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The Minister for School Standards, Stephen Byers, speaking on BBC Breakfast News, said that primary education had been severely neglected by the last government. He conceded that the targets were ambitious, but did not think they were unrealistic: "What we are announcing today are tough targets, but they are targets that we believe can be achieved and they will ensure that we get the basics right for our children in primary education".
David Hart, Head of the Association of Head Teachers, was more sceptical about the targets. He told BBC news that he had "substantial reservations in one or two areas such as the targets. They could be too tough". Mr Hart was also concerned that Labour's plans say nothing about investment in teacher training.
Before the election Labour set a target of 80% for 11-year-olds to achieve expected levels of literacy before leaving primary school. A similar task force, chaired by Professor Michael Barber, was set up to see how this aim could best be achieved. Professor Barber is now a special education adviser to the government.
Education was Labour's key campaign theme and Mr Blunkett is determined that it should remain the party's priority - even if that means setting ambitious targets: "No one should doubt that we mean business when we say 'Education, Education, Education' - and that behind that determination is 'Standards, Standards, Standards'. I know these are tough targets, but we must have clear goals which can drive all our other work on raising standards in schools."
The task force is expected to report by the end of the year.
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