Most would agree that these are damning indictments of the way Statistics is regarded in training Mathematics teachers.   

RSS Centre for Statistical Education colleagues heard these and others similar comments in gathering evidence from students on mathematical science degrees, NQTs and teacher trainees on PGCE Mathematics courses as part of wider research.

The research 'Teaching Statistics in British Secondary Schools' - funded by the Teaching Statistics Trust - investigates the extent and form of Statistics knowledge and pedagogy in British PGCE Mathematics courses.  The research report was launched at a meeting at the Royal Statistical Society's offices on 26 September 2012. 

The presentation* given by co-authors, Professor Neville Davies and Dr John Marriott included some surprising evidence and some new recommendations about what should happen in the future to improve Statistics knowledge and pedagogy in British teacher training. 

There were invited discussion by: Neil Sheldon, Manchester Grammar School and Chair of The Teaching Statistics Trust and Professor Harvey Goldstein, Professor of Social Statistics, University of Bristol and Teaching Statistics Trustee: how should we teach our teachers to teach Statistics? and how can the wider statistical community help to shape policy outcomes that will help to improve the current approach to statistics teacher training?