Teenagers' maths skills no better than 30 years ago

London: Youngsters aged 11 to 14 achieved similar results in a standard maths test to youngsters who were set the same questions in 1976, a major study has found.

In fact, there were more very poor performances among pupils who sat the test in 2008 compared with 32 years before.

GCSE passes are soaring but rising scores owe more to grade inflation and "teaching to the test" than real gains in mathematical understanding, it suggests.

Youngsters were more likely than their 1970s counterparts to struggle with fractions but were better at decimals.

"The overwhelming conclusion is that there are far fewer changes in mathematical attainment over a 32-year period than might be expected, or which have been claimed," said the study, conducted by academics at King's College London and Durham University.

They warned that both the highest and lowest achievers in 2008 were being let down by a focus in class teaching on the middle of the ability range.

While genuine gains in pupils' grasp of maths appear minimal, top-grade pass rates in exams taken at age 16 have risen dramatically.

In the early 1980s, just 22 per cent of pupils obtained at least a grade C in maths at O-level.