THERE are more bad marks for our schools as a new report shows British children lagging far behind those in other countries at maths.

This is worrying, as our children and how well educated they are constitute the seed-corn of the nation's future competitiveness and prosperity.

But the blame should not be laid solely at the feet of the forever-under-fire teachers.

The teaching of teaching and attitudes in the home and community on the value of education are also part of the equation. A combined effort is needed - right across the field of education, in the employment market and among parents - to improve standards.

A starting point must be to look at the foreign experience to examine more successful teaching methods and see how better incentives for learning are encouraged.

Traditionally superior as British education has been, we must not be too slow or too proud to learn lessons from abroad when there is clear evidence we are being overtaken.

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