So concerned is the Government about the level of mathematics achievement amongst UK students that the Home Office has announced a new visa specifically to attract Chinese maths teachers.
The Government announced the plan to bring around 60 maths teachers from Shanghai to work in the UK in March in response to an educational lobby group, National Numeracy, who warned earlier this year that poor numeracy among UK citizens is costing the country around £20bn per year. The teachers will be expected to train British maths teachers in ‘maths hubs’. Chinese students have been found to be the most proficient at maths in the world.
The new visa will be part of the Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) visa stream. The Tier 5 visa category is for temporary workers. Tier 5 visas last for between one and two years. The Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) subcategory is for people coming to the UK through government-approved channels which are designed to share knowledge, experience and best practice.
In order to qualify for a Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) visa, applicants must first be sponsored by a sponsor with a valid Tier 5 sponsorship certificate. The sponsor will provide the applicant with a certificate of sponsorship which must be presented with the visa application.
The scheme will be run by The National College for Teaching and Leadership, an executive agency within the Department for Education.
