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British government is looking to China to try to improve standard of maths in British schools. Students in Chinese city of Shanghai have highest international test results according to global testing agency. There is huge difference in numeracy levels between UK and China. Britain's Times newspaper reports that: " children of cleaners in Shanghai outperform those of UK doctors and lawyers in global maths tests." To attempt to rectify this situation, UK government will hire 60 of Shanghai's best maths teachers. It is part of new initiative called National Numeracy Challenge, which aims at improving mathematics ability of one million British students.

UK government said it was shocked that Britain lagged far behind many countries in maths. It warned that poor numeracy is costing country's economy up to $30 billion year. Britain's education minister Elizabeth Truss, who recently returned from fact-finding mission in China, stated: "We have some brilliant maths teachers in this country but what I saw in Shanghai and other Chinese cities has only strengthened my belief that we can learn from them." She added: "They have can-do attitude to maths and I want us to match that, and their performance." She said: "Good maths qualifications have greatest earnings potential and provide strongest protection against unemployment.