Join us at the RSS's offices on Errol St, London EC1 on Thursday 19 January 2012 at the launch of ‘The Future of Statistics in our Schools and Colleges’.

This event welcomes a new and insightful report (available here) which considers where and how statistics is taught in primary and secondary phases of education and questions the experience of statistics offered to young people. The research and report have been undertaken for the Royal Statistical Society with support from the Actuarial Profession.

A presentation by Roger Porkess, author of the report, will be followed by sessions by Lynne McClure, NRICH and Huw Kyffin, Researcher on ACME's 'Mathematical Needs' project which, respectively, share teacher and employer perspectives.

A panel discussion will then be an opportunity to influence the debate and help shape the future. Where across the curriculum and how should statistics be taught? How can the wider statistical community help to shape policy outcomes? 

This is a very important time for mathematics and statistics education. The confluence of the findings of this new research, a review of the primary-to-16 curriculum in England and a call from Higher Education and employers for school leavers to have stronger quantitative experience and skills, offers a unique opportunity for statistics.

Join us in planning the path statistical education must take to meet the needs of young people, the workplace, the economy and society as a whole.


Proposed Programme

14.00  Welcome

Professor Valerie Isham, President, Royal Statistical Society
Jane Curtis, President, Actuarial Profession
Professor Neville Davies, Director, RSS Centre for Statistical Education

14.10  The Future of Statistics in our Schools and Colleges

Roger Porkess

15.05  Where it all starts: statistics in primary education

Lynne McClure, Project Director, NRICH

15.20  Break


15.35  The employer perspective

Huw Kyffin, ACME Researcher 'Mathematical Needs' project

16.00  Panel discussion

Panellists include our speakers and Professor Stephen Sparks, Chair, Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education, and Stefano Pozzi, National Curriculum Review Team, Department for Education.

16.30  Event closes



 Places are free. Please book via e-mail: events@rss.org.uk or Tel: 020 7614 3934.