Countdown to Better Maths Lessons for Towns' Tory

The man working to be Burton and Uttoxeter ’s next MP has joined the ex star of Countdown in order to improve maths lessons in the towns’ schools.

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Burton and Uttoxeter, Andrew Griffiths met with former "Countdown" presenter Carol Vorderman who is to lead an inquiry into the teaching of maths for the Conservative Party.

The 48-year-old Cambridge graduate, who quit Channel 4's words and numbers quiz programme in December, said British children had fallen down international rankings of maths learning.

"Having left 'Countdown' I wanted to do something that was substantial and meaningful and important to me, and hopefully to other people as well," she said.

Conservative leader David Cameron has asked Vorderman to look at maths methods that children use at school, to compare them with methods taught abroad and to examine whether tests have got easier, a party spokesman said.

Speaking to Mr Griffiths at the launch, Vorderman said:

 "Maths is critically important to the future of this country but Britain is falling behind the best performing countries.

"In the last decade, 3.5 million children have left school without a basic qualification in maths, a shocking statistic."

Andrew said

“I was thrilled to meet Carol and to be able to discuss education and how we can improve maths teaching in East Staffordshire schools with her.  She is a well-respected public figure who not only knows maths inside out, but also how to extend that knowledge to a wider audience in an interesting and inspirational way.  The ability to use numbers is so important, particularly for future jobs at firms such as JCB.  We really need to give our kids the best education possible, and that means making they know understand arithmetic and how to use it”