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It's moved from "should" to must. "Every child in England will be expected to know their times tables before leaving primary school from next year. Pupils wil

It's moved from "should" to must. "Every child in England will be expected to know their times tables before leaving primary school from next year. Pupils will be tested against the clock on their tables up to 12x12 in new computer-based exams that the Department of Education (DfE) said were part of the government’s “war on innumeracy and illiteracy”." http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jan/03/pupils-face-new-tests-to-ensure-they-know-times-tables-by-age-11 http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jan/03/pupils-face... Gove is no longer the Education Secretary...he is now the Justice Secretary. God help us.

TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
I like the idea of declaring war on innumeracy. That totally works as a metaphor for improved teaching. I'm not sure people need to know the 12 x 12 table, so much as knowing how percentages and compound interest work. How long will it take someone to pay off a credit card debt if the APR is 39.9% and they can't afford to clear the balance every month? If they don't understand why the answer is "Probably forever unless they get lucky with an inheritance" they shouldn't be using a credit card.
Wildgoose 11y ago
Gove did a fantastic job as Education Secretary and that is why he is now hated by a teaching profession being forced to do their job. I am not and never have been a Tory, but he is the one Tory minister I can respect. (The rest are dreadful).