Lord impressed by Amherst pupils’ maths skills
INSTILLING in children a love and understanding of numbers will help them throughout their lives, Lord Michael Hastings said on a recent visit to Amherst School.
The former teacher is now KPMG International’s head of corporate citizenship and has been taking part in a two-day trip to the island, which includes meeting with senior business leaders today at a KPMG seminar to discuss the UN’s sustainable development goals.
But yesterday he was keen to meet with young people.
KPMG has been partnering with Amherst for nine years. Initially staff helped with reading, but that has now expanded into numeracy.
Company managing partner Neale Jehan said they were tying the visit in with national numeracy day, which took place last week.
‘The KPMG volunteers come up here and sit with the children for half an hour every week,’ he said.
‘It is designed to help the children improve their skills. The staff are very keen to come into the school.’
Lord Hastings hosted two maths sessions at the school and also took part in the 24 club. He also met with some of the KPMG volunteers.
He said that with the increase in calculators and mobile phones, he was concerned about students’ number skills.
‘But I have been amazed by the maths skills,’ he said.
‘I played a maths game, where you have to get to 24. The girl I was competing against did twice as well as me.’
He said teaching children to enjoy and understand numbers was important for all jobs.
Auditor Priere Emiebor has been volunteering to help with the young people for the last few months.
‘I love teaching the children and working with them and making a difference for them,’ he said.
Lord Hastings has led a varied career. Prior to joining KPMG, he had been head of public affairs for the BBC and later became its first head of corporate social responsibility. He was honoured with a peerage in 2005.
His work with KPMG has been keeping him busy.
Two weeks ago he was in Nigeria talking about literacy and last week he was in the Cayman Islands talking about education. His next stop will be Kenya and Tanzania next week, where he will be opening a library.
