Former Countdown co-host Carol Vorderman will head a Conservative taskforce into mathematics teaching, party leader David Cameron has said.

Her selection comes as the party leadership spearheads a ‘mathematics’ drive amid warnings of an “apartheid” between state and private school maths teaching.

The Tory leader said half of 16-year-olds had scored less than grade C at GCSE maths.

On Ms Vorderman’s appointment, Mr Cameron said: “Carol is the perfect choice. She’s a well-respected public figure who not only knows maths inside out, but also how to extend that knowledge to a wider audience in an interesting and inspirational way.

Ms Vorderman said: “Maths is critically important to the future of this country but Britain is falling behind the best-performing countries.

“In the last decade, 3.5 million children have left school without a basic qualification in maths, a shocking statistic. If they are to get the best jobs in the future and Britain is to emerge stronger from the recession we have little choice but to sort maths out now.

Britain is 24th in an international maths league.

Schools minister Jim Knight defended the government’s record.

“The picture in maths is a positive one,” he said.

“The latest major international study last year showed that we are leading Europe in maths and have risen 11 places in world league tables since 2003 to 7th place.”

Ms Vorderman quit her job at Countdown last year after being offered a severe pay cut.