Shock and surprise are often the responses I get when I tell my university peers that I studied maths at A-level. As a History student – and a female – it often doesn’t seem to compute that I chose to study a science alongside my humanities A-levels.
It certainly wasn’t due to any sort of passion for the subject: for me it was purely a tactical decision. Not only would maths be useful to me in boosting logical thinking and helping with everyday activities, it also looked more appealing to future employers.
Indeed, new statistics revealed by YouGov seem to have confirmed my decision, revealing that a third of adults want to improve their numeracy and everyday maths skills.
The survey, commissioned by National Numeracy, revealed a number of reasons why adults in the UK feel the need to improve their numeracy with 37 per cent stating that they wanted to manage their finances better.
Of the parents asked, 46 per cent indicated that their primary motive was a desire to better help their children with tasks such as homework.
Other reasons included improving activities such as cooking and DIY (26 per cent) and being able to better understand statistics in the media (25 per cent).
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https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/03/no_author/how-good-are-your-math-skills/