Minister calls for increased effort to help children struggling with three Rs

October 07 2010

Greater effort needs to be made to ensure children arrive at secondary school having achieved a basic minimum standard in English and Maths, it has been claimed.

Figures released by the Department for Education show one in six children do not make sufficient progress in the fundamental skills of reading, writing and arithmetic between the ages of seven and 11.

While this is better than previous years, Nick Gibb, the minister of state for schools, believes there is still room for improvement.

"Thousands of children are condemned to struggle at secondary school and beyond unless they get the fundamentals of reading, writing and maths right at an early age," he commented.

"We also need to ensure that those who are doing well when they are seven are stretched to their full potential."

While girls struggle most in maths, boys are more likely to fall behind in English, the study found.

Earlier in the week, education secretary Michael Gove said a more traditional method of teaching which focuses on knowledge and facts was needed in schools.

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