A regional daily has used its front page to urge Rishi Sunak to focus on priorities other than pupils studying maths until they are 18.

The Northern Echo, which covers the Prime Minister’s Richmond constituency, has made a direct appeal for him to tackle other issues affecting the North-East of England’s educational services.

The Echo’s plea comes after Mr Sunak revealed plans to ensure all school pupils in England study maths in some form until the age of 18.

But, on its front page on Friday, the Echo noted only half of North-East children have reached the expected standard in writing by age seven.

It also pointed performance in reading, maths and science had fallen since the coronavirus pandemic, while teaching vacancies had also doubled.

In an accompanying editorial, the Darlington-based Echo said: “The bits of money that the Government has given schools, and the supposedly expert extra lessons it has hired in, have not brought our children up to where they should be.

“It does make the Prime Minister’s vision on Wednesday of more children continuing with maths tuition until they are 18 look rather empty if our schools are struggling to get all children under the age of eight up to the basic levels.

“It must be so hard to be PM at this time with so many problems crowding in, but surely getting all children close to the early achievement levels must be the priority – and it is an urgent priority because those children who show up in today’s stats are already growing up and passing through the system.

“Their chance is already nearly gone.”

Explaining his plan on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said he wanted people to have the skills they needed “to feel confident” with tackling finances.