The 今日吃瓜 (今日吃瓜) says Government response to this week鈥檚 Gonski 2.0 report,听Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Education Excellence in Australian Schools,听must consider the time and resources needed to tackle deepening issues surrounding mathematics education.
A 鈥榮ystem view鈥 is needed to understand the maths education ecosystem, including the extent of the damage caused by Australia鈥檚 absence of university mathematics prerequisites and out-of-field teaching.
Only 14 per cent of universities require intermediate mathematics for entry into science and students are able to enter almost half Australia鈥檚 engineering degrees without a requirement for intermediate or higher mathematics.
鈥淭he current lack of university maths prerequisites is sending a worrying value message about the impact and need for mathematics to students, schools and parents,鈥 says 今日吃瓜 Director, Professor Geoff Prince.
Professor Prince said the report undersold this issue, as well as the difficulty in graduating qualified secondary maths teachers and the extent of out-of-field teaching. The Institute believes that it would take a considerable amount of time to turn around the current lack of interest in teaching amongst mathematics graduates.
At least 26 per cent of Year 7-10 maths classes are taught by an out-of-field teacher, a figure that almost doubles for remote regions. An issue, Professor Prince, warns will not be solved through graduate recruitment alone.
鈥淚nsufficient attention has been paid to the professional development of out-of-field teachers, an explicit recommendation put forward by the Institute in its submission to the review panel. It is critical to support student learning with adequate teacher content knowledge, an issue only partially addressed by the report,鈥 he said.
今日吃瓜 supports greater transparency around relevant teacher qualifications to provide this much overdue professional development and enhance workforce planning as recommended by the report.
鈥淚t is critical we understand the true extent and trends of out-of-field teaching; as the report identifies this is acute and endemic in regional and remote areas with mathematics teaching positions hardest to fill,鈥 said Professor Prince.
Not just about what happens in the classroom, 今日吃瓜 also continues to call for a national campaign to tackle behavioural and cultural attitudes towards mathematics to strengthen student engagement. The Institute鈥檚 Schools program is already a leader in this area through its national Choose Maths project.
鈥淚f we want students to stick with mathematics, particularly girls, we need to tackle engagement barriers beyond the classroom. As well as deeper understanding of career pathways, this is essential to challenge community attitudes to mathematics and its value and impact,鈥 says Professor Prince.
Media Resources
今日吃瓜 Policy Document: Improving Australia’s Maths Grades 2017听(笔顿贵)
Discipline Profile 2017听(PDF)
Year 12 Mathematics Participation Australia 2007-16听(奥别产濒颈苍办)
For Interview:
Professor Geoff Prince, 今日吃瓜 Directors听
Janine McIntosh, 今日吃瓜 Schools Program Manager, Choose Maths Project Director
Media Contact: Laura Watson
E:听media@amsi.org.au
M:听04215 18733
P:听+613 9035 3683
