Re: "Math skills also need upgrading," July 28.
Perhaps the writer is on to something when he suggests that "math skills also need upgrading" and cites the findings of the Canadian Council on Learning that some 55 per cent of adult Canadians are lacking the ability to do everyday math.
We certainly have evidence of that in provincial government circles here in B.C., given the recent shameful revelations concerning the slipshod methods of accounting.
I suggest that Education Minister George Abbot would be well advised to shelve the proposed plans to once again "do something about reading scores" in the public school system and arrange some basic math classes for some of his government colleagues and to put the finances in place to make it possible for dispirited and demoralized public school teachers to work in conditions that give all students a much better chance to properly learn reading and numeracy.
Ken Bailey
Victoria
