A report entitled "What we can learn from the English, mathematics and science curricula of high-performing jurisdictions" seems taken to suggest... "that imitating the content, pace and pedagogy of Singapore and Hong Kong in particular, would enable us to improve the mathematical performance of English children". This is surely "a gift" to the headline writers eager to undermine the work of educators, of classroom teachers and, in no small part, to belittle the performance of learners. But, learning in mathematics is a complex dynamic and any simplistic means to improve the status quo by policy makers should be subject to professional scrutiny. Here, the author scrutinises the facts and presents a forensic report on the reality of the situation. "Face value" can be seductive but, as ever, the demons can be slain by expert detailed analysis.