Sir Peter Williams ACME Annual Conference 20 June 2007

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Peter Williams ACME Chair ACME AND THE NCETM

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education all, we are one of your ‘parents’! Congratulations NCETM

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education “We recommend that a National Academy for Teaching of Mathematics should be established to have a strategic overview of CPD at national level….”

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education MATHEMATICS – OUR SHARED CHALLENGE Neither ACME nor NCETM would exist if there wasn’t a problem!

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education ……and the challenges continue….. Adequate financing of CPD Functional skills – what sort of CPD do we need? Testing and assessment Progression in mathematics – do the bits join up? The sheer pace of change

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education But………there have been many successes The ‘Smith Report’, the NCETM and …. ACME reports on CPD, assessment, primary and FE mathematics Workshops on functional maths, GCSE 1 & 2, mathematics in diplomas PLUS The way in which the mathematics community has worked together has been noted by other subject groups (e.g. by the sciences) and by Government Ministers

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education ACME WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE MATHEMATICS COMMUNITY HOW UNITED ARE WE???

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Good news from the chairs of ATM, MA & NANAMIC “As you know, historically there has been a divided community in mathematics education with a range of organisations representing the interests of specialist groups. This has led to a dilution of the community's influence and a marginalisation of its ability to play a decisive role in the development of policy and initiatives at government level, and with wider audiences such as business. Recently, there has been a determined attempt to correct this, and for the organisations making up the community to work in ever closer cooperation. A milestone in this process is the forthcoming, Joint ATM/MA/NANAMIC conference.” ….and we share wider responsibilities

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Mathematics and the Wider Community………..

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education …..who forget this…..

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education ……..and that these are linked by this

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education ACME AND THE NCETM : THE FUTURE? ACME and the NCETM must continue to work closely together But, like all parents, ACME must ‘let go’ and the NCETM must lead on CPD and related matters ACME must move its sights to further horizons and become more strategic in its outlook A Level and the transition to HE in mathematics and other related subjects must receive attention NOW not in response to some future Government initiative

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education …..and there will always be a job to be done! “ Change is scientific, progress is ethical; change is indubitable, whereas progress is a matter of controversy.” Bertrand Russell, 1950

Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education Annual Conference 20 June 2007