A latest research carried out with a focus to explore the impact of technology and gadget dependency on humans, especially on children and teenagers has highlighted a frightening fact. During the research, experts have observed that more than 17 million adults have extremely poor mathematical skills, similar to school going kids aged between nine and 11.

Before suggesting the findings, experts have surveyed more than 7,000 people, across the England aged between 16 and 65 and claimed that more than five million people lack most basic reading and writing skills, even adults were observed at a level of primary school children while evaluated their mathematical and English skills.

“And around one in four of the adult population struggle with the basics of numeracy, a skill which can have a greater impact on life chances than literacy”, commented the Director for Research and Development at the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, Carol Taylor, while raised concerns over the continuously spoiling basic skills in the country and emphasized on the need of immediate policies in order to address the matter.

Meanwhile, the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, has announced to impose a ban on calculator for primary school students and suggested that they should be permitted only after learning the basic skills. In addition, the minister has urged the parents to look at the use of calculators among primary school kids and warned against possibilities of their dependencies on calculator, because of frequent use.

While commenting on the findings, a spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said that literacy as well as numeracy skills plays a vital role for social mobility and desired economic growth. Further, he claimed that the authorities are enthusiastic to offer free training for all those people lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills.