The Southern Education and Library Board is committed, within the School Improvement Programme, to the development of numeracy in all its schools and to the raising of standards in Mathematics. Numeracy is important in giving children access to the full curriculum and in enabling them to take a full part in adult and social life. Society tends to underestimate the extent to which a lack of numeracy holds people back. It is timely that numeracy should be given a focus alongside literacy as an entitlement for pupils.

As stated in the Strategy Document for the Promotion of Literacy and Numeracy :

• teaching in Northern Ireland has had many good points but there is room for improvement
• achievement at Level 4, in statutory assessment of Mathematics at Key Stage 2, could be higher
• numeracy skills in the working-age population are a concern (approximately 25% of the population having low numeracy skills)
• some young people are entering employment while lacking competence in basic skills - often despite good qualifications
• a noteworthy proportion of school leavers at 16 years old require numeracy and literacy training

SELB will address these concerns by seeking to improve the quality of pupils' experiences in numeracy.