I have to worry about my Year 10 group. They're set 8 (if this were the videprinter I'd have to type in 'eight' next to that) and it shows. In the lesson today the teacher asked for 92 - 2 and they reached for their calculators. Dear me.

In all fairness to them plenty of pupils in other sets have a similar dependence, including one pupil who told me they couldn't convert 4/7 to a percentage because their caluclator didn't have the right buttons and it was my fault for giving them a rubbish calculator. In case you're wondering it wasn't one of those special calculators manufactured without the number 7 to cut costs.

Without meaning to sound like some condescending fool, you have to wonder what's going on with kids today. I'm worried that one day I'll ask a pupil thei name and they won't be able to tell me without checking on the organiser section of their mobile.