THAT EVIL ROTE LEARNING WORKS BEST AFTER ALL

Primary schools were urged yesterday to return to traditional maths teaching and bring back learning multiplication tables by rote. The shift away from rote learning may have undermined children's confidence and ability, said Dr Sylvia Steel, an educational psychologist at the Royal Holloway College, University of London.

In the late 1990s, Dr Steel studied 241 children aged between seven and 12 to find out how they tackled simple sums. Around a third recalled the answers from their long-term memory while a third counted the answers on their fingers or used mental number lines. The rest calculated the answers, using a small amount of learnt sums to work out more complicated problems. "We found that retrieval was the fastest and the most accurate and counting was the least accurate," Dr Steel told the science festival. "But despite the efficiency of retrieval, we found that many children were using counting methods."

The researchers found that primary school maths lessons made "heavy use" of conceptual teaching methods such as number lines and number squares. Children were often encouraged to look for number patterns when learning multiplication facts, rather than the traditional technique of learning times tables by rote. "We felt these methods might be encouraging children to stick to counting as they developed," Dr Steel said.

This year her team carried out the same tests on 81 children aged eight to 11 to see whether the launch of the national numeracy strategy in 1999 had made any difference. She found more emphasis on getting children to work out sums through calculation. However, despite an increase in rote learning, the least able third was still reliant on counting. "The message is that there needs to be more aural methods and more emphasis on rote learning," she said. "For a long time, teachers were told they must not teach tables, but it now appears more acceptable." Asked if schools should return to "Victorian classrooms" where children go through their tables aloud, she said: "If I had my way, yes."

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BRITAIN SHUFFLING THE DECKCHAIRS

While British educational standards sink ever lower

"Business leaders are threatening to boycott the Tomlinson report because they fear that its proposals will do nothing to improve basic standards of literacy and numeracy. Mike Tomlinson will today set out plans for the biggest reform of school-age qualifications in 60 years, abolishing GCSEs and A levels within a decade and replacing them with a diploma for all students aged 14 to 19.

Charles Clarke, the Education Secretary, is expected to endorse the plans, but the Confederation of British Industry, which fears that standards could even decline, cautioned yesterday that it would withhold support unless its concerns are answered. "The CBI wants an action plan to tackle literacy and numeracy," a spokesman said. "We will tell the Government, 'We will work with you, as long as there is such a plan'. This is our problem, to what extent will your proposals deal with it?'" With 60 per cent of teenagers leaving school without grade Cs in GCSE maths and English, a third of employers are forced to provide basic lessons in literacy and numeracy for young staff. John Cridland, the deputy director-general of the CBI, said that, while members wanted radical action, they "will take some convincing that a major shake-up of exams will resolve the issue. Firms want to know exactly how changing qualifications would raise standards in maths and English. Would it ensure the curriculum gives sufficient priority to literacy and numeracy? Would it improve teacher training so that teachers have the skills to deal with the issue?" he asked. "We need reassurance that such a radical shake-up would not divert energy and attention from these urgent tasks which we could be getting on with now."

When Mr Clarke set up the inquiry last spring he insisted that the reforms could not work unless schools, business and universities accepted them. Unions cautioned that ministers would be making a "fundamental mistake" unless they backed the whole package. David Hart, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "What I want from the Government is strong support for the Tomlinson report - I don't want any fudge."

Mr Tomlinson, a former Chief Inspector of Schools in England, will call for a diploma at four levels of difficulty to replace GCSEs and A levels by 2014. The reform would also spell the end of school league tables, a move that will delight most teachers' unions. Students would progress at their own pace, earning credits towards the certificate, with the brightest encouraged to pursue the hardest courses".

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL schools should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the poor and minimal regulation.

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