Skills shortage exacerbated by ‘lost’ maths pupils
The number of talented maths pupils who ‘go missing’ once they start secondary school is almost double the number of vacancies for STEM related jobs in England, research has found.
A new study by charity Axiom Maths suggests around 30,000 talented maths pupils are ‘disappearing’ from the school system between the ages of 11 and 16, with half of top-performing disadvantaged pupils being ‘lost’
According to Axiom Maths, these children are missing out on a £500,000 lifetime earnings premium, compared to those who continue studying maths to a high level.
The number of STEM vacancies currently stands at 16,000 according to new analysis of government statistics but is estimated to grow with the expansion and application of AI. The overall cost to the UK economy of a STEM skills gap is estimated to be at least £1.5bn per year.
Axiom Maths surveyed pupils and their families to try to identify why and when high-attaining maths pupils are ‘lost’ as they progress through their education.
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