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Rishi Sunak has a maths problem. Yesterday, he gave a speech at a college in Islington, London, outlining a policy that would see pupils in England learning maths until the age of 18. But something about the proposal didn’t add up: Sunak had to concede that more teachers were needed to put it into practice. What’s more, the government is struggling to get existing teachers to stay in the profession – over 36,000 quit in 2021.
Joshua Fullard, an expert in behavioural economics at Warwick Business School, has carried out research to determine what would persuade teachers to stay. A big pay rise could be an answer. But a more likely plan for the government would be to put measures in place that would reduce teachers’ onerous workloads.
Elsewhere in Islington, speculation is mounting as to whether former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will run as an independent MP at the next election, now Keir Starmer has blocked him from standing for the party. An academic has assessed the pros and cons of going it alone, and looked at what history can tell us about the fates of independent candidates.
And all over England, ramblers may be surprised and dismayed to learn that their favourite walking routes could be under threat. Thanks to a recent government decision, if public rights of way aren’t registered by 1 January 2031, access to them could be withdrawn.
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