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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants all children and young people in England to study maths until they are 18.

He put forward his plans in his first speech of 2023 on Wednesday, along with some of his other priorities for the new year.

The current rules means all pupils in England have to study maths up until GCSE level. GCSEs are exams that are usually sat when students are in year 11 and they're then given grades in the subjects they studied including maths.

Maths is also studied up to the age of 16 in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and these nations have their own governments which oversee the education system.

The UK is currently one of the only countries in the world that does not require children to study some form of maths up to the age of 18.

According to Mr Sunak, just half of 16 to 19-year-olds study maths at the moment. However, this figure includes pupils doing science courses and those who are already resitting GCSE in college.

It means the number of pupils opting to study maths at a higher level is likely to be a lot less.

Now, the prime minister wants maths to continue into college or sixth form for all pupils, and not just those who choose to study it at a higher level.

He says he wants to tackle difficulties around numeracy in the UK, and for children to be able to grow up to work in jobs using data and numbers.

"In a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job, letting our children out into the world without those skills is letting our children down," he said.

It's not yet clear what Mr Sunak's plans will look like, but there aren't any plans to make A-Level maths, which some students choose to do, compulsory for students.

Instead, the government says it's looking at ways it can expand qualifications that already exist and it's also exploring new options.

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Despite the prime minister's plans to get more young people into numeracy, not everyone is convinced about how this will play out in practice.

The Labour party's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson called on Mr Sunak to "show his working" on how greater participation in maths will be funded.

"He cannot deliver this reheated, empty pledge without more maths teachers, yet the government has missed their target for new maths teachers year after year," she said.

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson, called the aim "an admission of failure from the prime minister on behalf of a Conservative government that has neglected our children's education so badly".

"Too many children are being left behind when it comes to maths, and that happens well before they reach 16," she added.

What do you think about the prime minister's plans? And would you be up for studying maths until you're 18? Have your say in the comments below.