I’m baffled by Simon Jenkins’ insistence that calculators render a proper education in maths unnecessary (My verdict on the ‘woke’ review of England’s school curriculum? It isn’t radical enough, 7 November). Maths is not merely about learning facts and formulas – it teaches children how to solve problems, to identify patterns, to think and express arguments logically, and to interpret data and recognise when they’re being misled. It teaches resilience and the confidence to keep trying when their first attempt at a solution isn’t quite right. These are all important life skills for any young person to develop, and cannot be replaced by calculators. There are many problems with the education system, including with the way maths is taught, but dismissing maths as useless for most people only demonstrates a lack of understanding of what the subject actually involves.
Kayleigh Ward
Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire