British industry supplies very few jobs where an employee gets to exercise and benefit from higher maths skills regularly. Mainly this is due to the decline of engineering/physics based industries. With relatively few jobs to win, why invest in the study? Maybe UK students have "done the math".

Bob, Reading,

Your argument seems to be "I didnt need to study maths, therefore I can extrapolate that to everyone". Perhaps if you had study mathematics and the sciences you would realise that this sort of thinking is falacious. Obviously it will not benefit everyone. But some is better than none.

Robert, Oxford,

took maths GCSE last year. My school, a mixed ability secondary in the suburbs, now sends pupils in for the exam a year early. I would be the first to admit that my abilities in the subject leave a lot to be desired, but still, I can't argue with the A* on the certificate.

Tom Newport, London, United Kingdom

Teachers can get extra help in teaching Maths to students who don't "get it" this summer at Appleford School, Shrewton, Wiltshire. Professor Mahesh Sharma is running a 4 day course to improve Maths teaching skills among those educating children with dyscalculia and related learning difficulties.

Paul Sample, Salisbury, UK

There is a difference between studying mathematics and history - the one is about learning HOW, while the other is simply WHAT. A calculator will only return the desired number if the correct calculation is entered, but Google and Wikipedia can reference far more knowledge than your history degree.

Dominic Graham de Montrose, London,

Without understanding mathematics, it's impossible to fulfil one's civic duty properly. For a start, you can't understand all those big sums of money the government keeps grabbing and spending. Or that the royal family costs each of us as much as one loaf of bread every year.

Tom Welsh, Basingstoke,

Hugo, you were lucky, you got a job in the media. That's where a disproportionate number of teenagers aspire to end up, and they choose media hyped subjects to study. When the majority fail to get their job on TV, without maths or other uncool A Levels under their belt their options are limited.

Paul, London, UK

What's wrong with the kind of journalist who knows what matrices are but has to look up Bismarck on Google?

They're the kind of journalist who can tell you that there's no need to worry about MMR rather than just relying on 'intuition'.

There's room (and indeed a need) for both types.

RNC, Haywards Heath,

"Lost generation?" - us Indians?! Hardly.We have found much in England that our docile fathers didn't : opportunities in just about every sector-IT,Engineering,hospitality et al.Remember that for us it is and will always be 1$ = Rs 40 and 1 pound = Rs 85.We are 'pound' wise and wise otherwise too!!

vishwanathan, SECUNDERABAD, India

As a student of history you'll no doubt at least appreciate that the advancements of civilization both cultural, philosophical and technological have gone hand in hand with advancements in our understanding of mathematics? Your easy life is made easy because of those that did the hard work.

Stuart, Glasgow, UK

You admit, you took history because it was the easier option. And then you became a journalist.
Some other nation's students dont have that easy option, and so take the difficult route, and ultimately its their economies and societies that gain. While we have TV talent shows to keep us occupied.

Bruce, stratforf, uk

On a percentage basis there are less teenagers regularly drunk out of their minds in China or India than in the "nice" UK. And maths that allows you to figure what 25% APR means, or to convert the kcal/100g info on a 250g pack of crisps into your likelihood for obesity has its "peaceful" uses too.

Adrian, London, UK

I'll bet most mathematicians don't need to google Bismarck.

But, then, they don't cling to ignorance, let alone boast about it or wear it and wear it as a badge of cool.

Vicky, Germany,