It has taken a long time for Britain's shortcomings in literacy to be acknowledged – now we must do the same for numeracy
A few weeks ago, Sue Chapman wrote a moving piece for the Guardian's Weekend magazine, describing how wonderful it was to have learned to read at the age of 60. She also told of the many years she had spent hiding her terrible secret. Perhaps if illiteracy wasn't considered quite such a terrible secret, seeking help wouldn't be so daunting.
Or perhaps not. A report from the new charity, National Numeracy, says that almost half of British adults have the maths skills of a primary school child. Ineptitude at maths is presented as an endearing foible, rather than a fundamental failing. But the charity argues that good numeracy is "an even clearer indicator of economic and personal success" than literacy. It has taken a long time for our shortcomings in the teaching of literacy to be acknowledged. The heart sinks at the prospect of another long struggle to persuade the nation that numbers count.