The Treasury's decision to scrap a basic maths test for new recruits has sparked fury from a leading peer, who warns it will undermine Andy Burnham's ambitions for economic growth. Lord Agnew, a former Treasury Minister and chair of the Numeracy for Life Committee in the House of Lords, said the move is 'just the tip of the iceberg' in Britain's deepening numeracy crisis.
Treasury Axes Numerical Reasoning Test Over Diversity Concerns
According to reports first revealed by The Spectator, HM Treasury dropped the Numerical Reasoning Test (NRT) for new entrants. The department argued that the test was having an 'adverse impact on candidate diversity' and that 'having two tests creates an additional hurdle for candidates to jump over and another opportunity for candidates to be sifted out of the process.' The decision, disclosed through freedom of information requests, means new civil servants no longer need to prove they can perform basic numeracy.
Lord Agnew: 'Unmistakable Lowering of Numerical Skill'
Speaking to the Daily Express, Lord Agnew said there has been an 'unmistakable lowering of the importance we place on numerical skill right across our institutions,' which is having a 'devastating effect.' He warned that millions of adults in the UK are paying a 'lifetime Innumeracy Tax, costing individuals hundreds of pounds a year and society billions of pounds every year in lost productivity, poor financial decision-making, and reduced economic growth.'
Lord Agnew fumed that the Treasury's response had been to 'quietly sweep numerical reasoning under the carpet rather than hold the line on standards.' He added: 'When the Treasury, of all places, starts treating maths as an obstacle rather than a prerequisite, you have to ask whether anyone in Whitehall is seriously grappling with the scale of the problem. We should be making numeracy a national mission, not making excuses for why we can't expect it of our own civil servants.'
Impact on Andy Burnham's Growth Agenda
Lord Agnew directly linked the Treasury's decision to the growth plans of Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, who has repeatedly promised growth in every postcode. 'Andy Burnham talks of growth in every postcode. He'll struggle to deliver it with a Treasury that is lowering the bar for the people meant to be doing the sums,' the peer said. The warning comes as Britain grapples with a deepening crisis of numeracy among young people, with the Treasury's move seen as symptomatic of a broader decline in standards.
