National Numeracy Day 2022
Written on 16th, May 2022
18 May is National Numeracy Day, the UK’s only day dedicated to everyday maths, organised by the charity National Numeracy. The aim is to help everyone feel positive about numbers.
National Numeracy Day celebrates the importance of numbers for children and adults and inspires everyone to improve their numeracy in order to open up opportunities and brighter futures.
The Big Number Natter overview
What is it? The Big Number Natter is the first ever nationwide conversation about numbers. It’s an opportunity to have a chat about numbers and change lives for the better. The story behind your lucky number, tips for bagging a bargain, calculations in your career, or helping kids with homework…love it or loathe it, everyone has something to say about maths!
Why is it running? Half the UK’s working age adults have low numeracy levels, which makes people more vulnerable to debt, unemployment, poor health and fraud – all exacerbated by the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crises. But everyone can improve their numeracy and talking about numbers is a fantastic first step.
When is it happening? May 2022! National Numeracy Day is on Wednesday 18 May 2022, so we’ll be number nattering throughout the whole of May.
Where can you get involved? Celebrities, experts and people across the UK will be sharing their own number stories on social media.
• Twitter @Nat_Numeracy
• Facebook: @nationalnumeracy
• Instagram: @national_numeracy
• LinkedIn: National Numeracy
National Numeracy Challenge – tried-and-tested free confidence & skills building tool.
This free online tool builds numeracy skills and confidence, with 300+ everyday maths questions and tutorials, multimedia resources, technology that adapts to individual learning levels, and signposting to further support.
Why not give it a go? Challenge yourself
About National Numeracy
“Our vision is for everyone in the UK to get on with numbers so they can get on in life. Our work improves how people understand and work with numbers in everyday life, sparking better opportunities and brighter futures”.
National Numeracy is an independent charity established in 2012 to help raise low levels of numeracy among both adults and children and to promote the importance of everyday maths skills. They aim to challenge negative attitudes, influence public policy and offer practical ways of helping adults and children improve their numeracy – in the community, the workplace and formal education.
Their approach is two a pronged attack:
Raising awareness about poor numeracy levels which exist in the UK, how numeracy differs from mathematics, and the promoting the recognition that everyone can improve through campaigns such as National Numeracy Day.
Improving numeracy. Over 350,000 people have registered to check and improve their maths skills with the National Numeracy Challenge, giving them a space to assess and improve on their numeracy at their own pace.
The charity believes:
- Numeracy is an essential skill – and an entitlement – for everyone. The economic success of the UK and the wellbeing of people individually are dependent on it
- Everyone can improve their everyday maths skills. Numeracy can be learnt. Mathematical understanding is not determined at birth
- Improvement takes effort and application. The real key to better numeracy skills is determination and resilience. Learning can be hard work for everyone
- Improving numeracy needs encouragement, support and good teaching. The education system, employers and politicians all have a part to play
- Negative attitudes are the foremost barrier to making the UK numerate. Removing them – getting rid of mistaken beliefs and the widespread ‘rubbish at maths’ tag – is fundamental to change
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