Woman's Hour - 15/02/2010

With Sheila McClennon. Research indicates that around a third of women struggle with maths, and yet this is a time when employers' organisations say they require higher skill levels than ever before. So why has it happened? In a special edition of Woman's Hour, Sheila McClennon discusses where the problems started for a whole generation of women and how they can now help their own children from struggling too. Even those parents who are confident mathematicians may find the syllabus is now taught in a different way and covers topics which weren't around when they were at school. With a panel of guests, including the Marie Curie Professor of Maths Education Jo Boaler, Carol Vorderman and the president of the Mathematical Association Jane Imrie, Sheila finds out what is happening in the classroom now, and if new initiatives are likely to help all pupils feel confident in maths. And, with many girls excelling in maths at school, what can be done to encourage these high flyers continue with their maths into higher education and careers in maths, engineering and technology?