Britain | A lack of basic skills

Many British adults lack basic numeracy and literacy

If that changed, the country would be much better off

Stock photo of school boy student studying and doing maths homework on paper, with close-up of the student's hand writing fractions notebook, algebra mathematics calculations by computer.

Gremlins in white boiler-suits harassed Britons in the early 2000s, springing from cupboards, drawers and sofas whenever people were asked to read or add up. The critters were the stars of government tv advertisements that aimed to prod adults into signing up for lessons in maths and literacy. The adverts drove adults into classrooms—and sent toddlers screaming from living rooms. For a while regulators banned them from appearing before 7:30 at night.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The first mile”

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From the September 24th 2022 edition

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