CAN you still recite the times tables you learned in school?

Thousands of us probably can, and now the Government has decided every pupil in England is to be tested on their times tables before leaving primary school. This includes up to 12 x 12 with the new system piloted to around 3,000 pupils in 80 primaries this Summer with on-screen checking.

This is brilliant news for all of us purists who believe learning tables is a genuine help. I’ve never understood why it was felt unimportant because you never forget them, even if you hated learning them back then.