Baroness Deborah Bull, a crossbench peer since 2018 and Deputy Speaker of the Lords, secured the debate and, when opening it, mentioned the research of Dr Kinga Morsanyi. During the debate, the work of Professor Camilla Gilmore was also cited.
In the debate, the Baroness raised concerns about the lack of awareness about dyscalculia and the implications this has, with a dyslexic child being 100 times more likely to be diagnosed than a child who suffers from dyscalculia (Morsanyi, 2018).
Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability, characterised by persistent and severe difficulties in learning and understanding mathematics, despite adequate intellectual ability and age-appropriate school education. Dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental condition, which means that it has a biological basis, although environmental factors also play a role in its development. Early signs of dyscalculia are present from a young age, and problems persist, even when pupils receive high-quality specialist intervention. This does not mean that people with dyscalculia cannot improve their mathematics skills, but achieving knowledge and skills that is appropriate for the person’s age and level of education requires sustained and considerable effort and specialist support. Dyscalculia is a life-long condition, which means that it continues to have an effect on people’s everyday life when they are no longer in education. Dyscalculia also often co-occurs with other conditions (including mental health issues), which can lead to additional challenges.
In advance of the debate, Dr Morsanyi was contacted by one of Baroness Bull’s research staff, who had read some of her previous articles on the subject and asked if she would be able to provide some information on current provision to inform a debate. The Policy Unit supported Dr Morsanyi in pulling together a policy briefing on dyscalculia that was sent over to inform Baroness Bull’s preparation.
Professor Gilmore’s role as a member of the Maths Horizon Project was also cited in the debate by Lord Lionel Tarassenko, another crossbench Peer. He mentioned her membership of a working group which has been developing an up-to-date evidence-based dyscalculia diagnosis methodology, which was released in March of this year. The Policy Unit has previously supported Prof Gilmore in drawing up a briefing on her wider work on early years maths education.
In total, ten members of the House of Lords spoke during the debate, covering a range of issues including dyscalculia and wider issues relating to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision. The debate was then responded to by the Minister Baroness Blake of Leeds. You can read a transcript of the debate on Hansard, or watch the debate on the Parliament’s website (the debate begins at 20:58).
Having work cited in Parliament is an excellent way for researchers to boost their profile and share their expertise. Recently, another colleague, Dr Savannah Worne, spent a few days shadowing another member of the House of Lords. You can read a blog about her experiences and what she learnt here.
The University’s Department of Mathematics Education is one of the largest groups of mathematics education researchers in the UK - with an international reputation for research into the learning and teaching of mathematics and statistics. The Department is also involved in to two Centres who undertake policy-relevant research: the Centre for Mathematical Cognition and the ESRC-funded Centre for Early Mathematics Learning.