Ofsted:"Only 45% of Maths classes are satisfactory or worse.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Ofsted criticises maths lessons? 'Teaching to test' is failing pupils, says watchdog

? Nearly half of classes seen as not good enough Polly Curtis, education editor The Guardian, Friday September 19 2008

Nearly half of all maths lessons are not good enough, according to an Ofsted report out today which suggests that even though more pupils are getting qualifications, uninspiring teaching means they often lack understanding of mathematical concepts.

Children are being drilled to pass exams and enrol for booster and revision classes, but are not equipped with the mathematical skills or knowledge needed for their future, it will say. The study by the schools inspectorate, based on inspections of 192 primary and secondary schools, focuses on the most serious problems in secondaries, where pupils were making inadequate progress in about 10% of lessons. It will claim that 45% of maths classes were only satisfactory or worse - a judgment which Ofsted will say is not good enough.

Primary schools are failing to identify gifted children at an early age, it will say. The schools minister, Lord Adonis, will appeal to primaries to improve their work with gifted pupils. It comes after this summer's tests showed a drop in the number of pupils obtaining top marks for literacy."

Give me strength! What is Lord Adonis doing when only 60% of classes are satisfactory?

There's simply no excuse for poor Maths(6)

[Huguenot]

On a mathematical bent...

If 45% of maths classes were satisfactory or worse, then 55% were better than satisfactory - they performed above expectations?

If 35% of the classes were actually satisfactory, they you could argue that 90% of maths classes met or exceeded expectations?

Not only is this story an example of naughty maths, but do we really need people manipulating the figures to make it appear that we're worse than we really are?

[Marmora Man]

Not only is the maths wonky - but the so are the political commentators.

Remember John Prescott - he wanted every schoolchild to be above average in reading skills by the age of 11.

[giggirl]

Did you know that 68% of all statistics are made up on the spot? Scary stuff.

[lozzyloz]

In a recent poll, 43% of forumites didn't know that.

[Brendan]

If an economy is 90% dependant on the statistical analysis of financial markets and 55% of the population cannot do maths, how long until everything is completely fucked?

[giggirl]

Brendan - did you just make those stats up? Tell the truth now.

[Brendan]

Well there is always a 76% chance that any person quoting statistics is speaking bollocks.

[giggirl]

Well you're a very naughty boy

[david_carnell]

Should we even care? Can they add up in their head? Do a bit of subraction and multiplication? MAybe work out the area of a wall for painting? Good. Job done.

Quadratic equations? Algebra? Geometry?

Bloody waste of time.

[taper]

5% were unsatisfactory if you look at the report; so 95% satisfactory or above.

[macroban]

How many of those who bought into the East Dulwich housing bubble have GCSE maths?

[trinity]

Except that ofsted have decided that 'satisfactory' is not satisfactory. They stated that lessons should be good or above. Anything less is not acceptable and not satisfactory. Bit confusing isn't it.

[citizenED]

More confusing than need be - satisfactory a weasle word if ever there was one - but the point Ofsted is making is that kids in schools are drilled to pass SATS and GCSE. They are trained to do exam questions, not taught to understand maths.

[espelli]

Well if they want schools not to train children to answer exam questions and to focus on understanding and developing a love of learning then they need to scrap the high stakes testing. Ofsted can't have it both ways.

[EDOldie]

"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" Disraeli