Sir Peter Lampl writes on the importance of maths education for The Times.

When I ran my own businesses, I prized one skill above all others: a good understanding of mathematics. But I noticed a marked difference between those applying to work for me in this country compared with those I encountered in the United States or Germany.

American and German applicants had a good grasp of maths. Yet here, even among Oxbridge graduates, there was too often a shocking ignorance. Nobody proudly proclaims their illiteracy. But too many English people boast about their innumeracy.

Read the full article here (£).