A community volunteer who struggled consistently with maths at school and yet excelled in most other subjects has been recognised for her outstanding commitment to learning.
Sarah Knowles had been baffled as to why she was never able to develop her mathematical skills until she was diagnosed two years ago with dyscalculia - a condition which affects the ability to deal with numbers.
Dyscalculia is a learning disability, also known as a learning difficulty (dyslexia with numbers) that affects an individual’s ability to understand and perform mathematical tasks.
Despite her best efforts and paying attention in class as a child, Miss Knowles struggled to grasp the concept of adding up, subtracting and barely understood games involving numbers. In fact, playing boardgames with numbers would fill her with dread, stress and anxiety.
These challenges affected her confidence profoundly, often feeling overwhelmed and defeated by tasks that seemed easy to her peers.
But she was able to go to university and achieved her degree, although she was faced with a major turning point in her life when she lost her job as an art gallery assistant after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Losing the job was painful, but also an opportunity for reinvention for Miss Knowles who returned to the classroom, shone throughout her studies and achieved passes in her functional skills maths course before landing a volunteering role with a local charity.
The 49-year-old, who lives in Thirsk, was among the 11 learners recognised at our annual Adult Learning Awards ceremony.
She said: “I always struggled with maths, I just couldn’t understand why I was good at all other subjects but couldn’t get the hang of maths. Dyscalculia was not a recognised condition when I was in school.
“Returning to the classroom at the age of 49 seemed daunting at first but age is no barrier to learning and I feel so proud of conquering my fear of maths and gaining the qualifications thanks to the support of the council’s adult learning teams.”
The executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said: “Adult education in North Yorkshire has a huge role to play in helping enhance the employment credentials of thousands of people and Sarah’s experience is a brilliant example of this.
“Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and to the winners who should be proud of their awards; I know your achievements will inspire others to explore all the different learning opportunities.”
Apprenticeships and courses such as English, mathematics, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and accountancy and finance are among the wide range of courses on offer for adults and for learners with high needs by the council’s adult education service.
The service was inspected by Ofsted in May and has been rated good across the board with outstanding for behaviour and attitudes and the apprenticeships it offers.
During their visit, inspectors found calm, welcoming and well-resourced learning environments which help learners build confidence and inspire them to participate in education.
Our assistant director of education and skills, Louise Wilson, added: “The learners are a credit to our adult learning service and have shown outstanding passion, commitment and drive to improve themselves through learning.
“The awards celebrate the transformative power of adult learning and recognise the commitment of students and educators across the North Yorkshire.”
Looking to the future, Miss Knowles said: “I am waiting for my Level 2 maths results after which I intend to pursue a Level 3 in training and education so that I can teach and raise awareness of dyscalculia.
“I have also been recognised as a numeracy champion through the National Numeracy charity and I hope my story inspires other people with dyscalculia to push their own limits and reach their maths goals.”
Browse the Adult Learning Service autumn/winter course guide online.