The food agency of the United Nations, the FAO, estimates that there are 925 million undernourished people in the world, largely because the calories produced worldwide (which should be sufficient) are not effectively utilized and distributed.

FORBES: How to Put More Giving into Thanksgiving

The likelihood is that on retirement they will depend on their savings, and on a state pension which experts increasingly warn should not be seen as a sufficient income by itself.

BBC: Longer careers pose challenges for ageing population

"The NUT has always argued that the entry requirements for initial teacher education, which include GCSE passes grade C or above in English and maths, should be sufficient and make the additional skills tests superfluous, " said General Secretary Christine Blower.

BBC: Literacy and numeracy tests toughened for new teachers