But the tingling sublimity which we feel in the Queen of the Night’s aria no longer reflects a yearning for order, but a sense of our littleness in the face of immensity.
And as we all look forward to the start of a new decade, it's worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps that bring about the most lasting change.
So put simply, without a solid foundation in maths, our children risk being left behind, shut out of the careers they aspire to; and the lives that they want to lead.