New maths qualification needed

New maths qualification needed to improve England's poor participation in maths post-16. The solution to England's poor participation rate in post-16 maths education could lie in a new qualification that provides a clear and attractive alternative for students who don't currently go on to study maths at AS or A level, according to a study that compares maths education in seven countries. The study, led by Jeremy Hodgen at King's College London and published by the Nuffield Foundation, makes recommendations in order to address the fact that only about 20 percent of students in England study maths after GCSE. The authors of the report argue that the new qualification should focus on mathematical fluency, modelling and statistics and be built into requirements for higher education in order to encourage take-up. It should be developed in the context of the wider curriculum and qualification framework, with consideration given to encouraging study of a broader range of subjects post-16. In addition GCSE mathematics should remain compulsory until students have achieved a satisfactory grade - as previously recommended by the Wolf Report into vocational education - and consideration should be given to enabling some students to prepare for GCSE an additional year or more, rather than the current tendency towards early entry. Only 20 percent of students in England study maths after GCSE, which is lower than other comparable countries, including Scotland - where 48 percent of students study maths post-16. In Germany and Hong Kong the figure is over 90 percent and Singapore, New Zealand and the USA all have participation rates over 65 percent. What drives increased participation?