Mathematics degrees are becoming harder to obtain, which is a problem for business, government and innovation

There is a strange trend in British mathematics education. Mathematics has been the most popular subject at A-level since overtaking English in 2014, with around 85,000 and her 90,000 students taking it a year.

However, many universities, particularly low-tariff universities that admit students with poor A-level grades, have far fewer students completing mathematics degrees. Over the five-year period from 2017 to 2021, the number of math students at the lowest-cost universities fell by 50%. As a result, some universities are struggling to keep mathematics departments open.

The total number of students studying mathematics has changed little over the past decade. Prestigious Russell Group universities, which require top A-level grades, are increasing the number of maths students.

This trend in degree-level mathematics education is alarming. This limits access to degrees in mathematics, particularly for students from poorer backgrounds, who are most likely to study at universities near where they live. There is a persistent myth that only people with an abnormal talent for mathematics should study mathematics, and that advanced mathematical skills are not necessary for everyone else.

A 2019 study by King's College London and Ipsos found that half of the working-age population had the numeracy skills expected of primary school children. Equally concerning is that despite this, 43% of those surveyed said they did not want to improve their numeracy skills. Almost a quarter (23%) said they had no idea how it would benefit them.

Mathematics is the basis for recent technological developments such as quantum computing, information security, and artificial intelligence. A larger pipeline of mathematics graduates from more diverse backgrounds will be essential if the UK is to remain a science and technology powerhouse into the future.

But math is also essential for a wide range of careers, including business and government. In March 2024, the campaign group Protect Pure Math convened a summit bringing together experts from industry, academia, and government to discuss concerns about low math skills and the continued importance of high-quality math education.

Ahead of the summit, the London Mathematical Society commissioned a survey of more than 500 companies to assess their concerns about the potential shortage of future graduates with strong mathematical skills.

The results found that 72% of companies agree that they would benefit from more mathematics graduates entering the workforce. And 75% would be worried if a UK university downsized or closed its mathematics department.

A 2023 report on parliamentary staff found that skills in secretarial subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) were particularly difficult to find among those who worked at Westminster. As many as 90% of those who earned an undergraduate degree studied the humanities or social sciences. While background in these subjects is valuable, specialized mathematics skills are severely lacking.

limited options

Oxford Brookes University's mathematics department has been closed, and other universities are also cutting back on recruitment. The resulting math desert deprives students of the opportunity to receive quality math education locally. Universities should do their best to keep these departments open.

This might be possible if the way degrees are set up changes. Degree courses in many countries, such as the United States and Australia, allow students to choose from a wide range of subjects, from science and mathematics subjects to the humanities. Each is taught in its own department. This allows students to gain advanced knowledge and understand how each area affects the others.

This is almost impossible in the UK, where students must choose a narrow degree program at the age of 18.

Another possible solution is to have core mathematics modules taught by expert mathematicians in degree fields that rely heavily on mathematics, such as engineering, economics, chemistry, physics, biology, and computer science. right. This will help keep maths departments open while ensuring that general maths literacy improves in the UK.

The relevance of mathematics and its vast applications will become much clearer, and all students will be better equipped with the mathematical skills needed for the workforce.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.