Only 14 per cent of Australia's science university degrees require maths as a condition of entry, and experts say the country's future looks dire if students continue to turn their back on studying maths in high school.
Key points:
The Federal Government will recommend that mid-level maths be a mandatory prerequisite for a range of university degrees, including commerce, engineering and science.
It is part of a 10-year plan to improve the nation's mathematics skills and drive innovation in Australia.
Experts said another issue is students coming to university completely unaware and unprepared for the level of maths needed for subjects they will be studying, once they have received entry into a science, technology, engineering or mathematics course.
The widespread absence of prerequisites is sending a message to Australian school communities that maths is not important.
Professor Geoff Prince, director of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute
Professor of Mathematics at the University of Western Australia, Cheryl Praeger, said Australia faces a dire future unless the recommendations are acted on.
"I'm afraid we really need students and graduates and workers with critical thinking who can think logically and solve our problems," Professor Praeger said.
"If we don't have that, perhaps our innovative industries won't be there; the nurses who need to be able to calculate the doses of drugs; maybe they'll just not be able to work as efficiently.
"It just goes through every part of our lives I think."
Professor Geoff Prince, the director of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, said Australia was slipping behind the rest of the world when it came to maths.
He said Australian students were underperforming both internationally and locally.
"It's in areas like out-of-field teaching — so the percentages of our classes without a maths teacher in front of them — they have a teacher in front of them, but not a maths teacher in front of them," Professor Prince said.
"And on the prerequisite issue, it's the same sort of thing, our international colleagues can't believe it when we tell them we don't have prerequisites for university study, maths prerequisite internationally."
Students coming to university 'unprepared'
Professor Prince said introducing compulsory subjects for entry into university courses like commerce and engineering would be a crucial first step to improving Australia's maths performance.
If the kids don't take the appropriate maths courses at school, then they sort of come with their hands ties behind their backs.
Professor Praeger, University of Western Australia
"The widespread absence of prerequisites is sending a message to Australian school communities that maths is not important and that's having a significant detrimental effect on maths enrolments around the country, but also the resourcing of maths in schools around the country, so there's that system issue," he said.
The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute said only 14 per cent of the nation's science degrees require maths as a condition of entry.
In NSW, no university enforces a maths prerequisite on any science, technology, engineering or mathematics courses, the institute said.
Professor Praeger said that they had a "duty of care" to students.
"To make sure that when students come to university to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics, that they're properly prepared for it and that they're not coming without the subjects which they really need, which really hasn't been communicated to them that this is what they need for success," Professor Praeger said.
"If the kids don't take the appropriate maths courses at school, then they sort of come with their hands ties behind their backs and they have to make up some of those units at the university and it takes a longer time and they cut off their options."
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham will today launch the Federal Government's 10 year plan for the future of maths.
As well as prerequisites, the report recommends tackling Australia's shortage of specialised maths teachers and creating a national mathematics research centre.
Sited: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-17/maths-must-be-mandatory-university-degree-prerequisite-experts/7253286
Key points:
- Government to recommend mid-level maths be mandatory pre-requisite for a range of university degrees
- Experts say students going to university are unprepared for level of maths skills needed for courses
- No NSW university enforces maths prerequisites on any science, technology, engineering or mathematics course
The Federal Government will recommend that mid-level maths be a mandatory prerequisite for a range of university degrees, including commerce, engineering and science.
It is part of a 10-year plan to improve the nation's mathematics skills and drive innovation in Australia.
Experts said another issue is students coming to university completely unaware and unprepared for the level of maths needed for subjects they will be studying, once they have received entry into a science, technology, engineering or mathematics course.
The widespread absence of prerequisites is sending a message to Australian school communities that maths is not important.
Professor Geoff Prince, director of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute
Professor of Mathematics at the University of Western Australia, Cheryl Praeger, said Australia faces a dire future unless the recommendations are acted on.
"I'm afraid we really need students and graduates and workers with critical thinking who can think logically and solve our problems," Professor Praeger said.
"If we don't have that, perhaps our innovative industries won't be there; the nurses who need to be able to calculate the doses of drugs; maybe they'll just not be able to work as efficiently.
"It just goes through every part of our lives I think."
Professor Geoff Prince, the director of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, said Australia was slipping behind the rest of the world when it came to maths.
He said Australian students were underperforming both internationally and locally.
"It's in areas like out-of-field teaching — so the percentages of our classes without a maths teacher in front of them — they have a teacher in front of them, but not a maths teacher in front of them," Professor Prince said.
"And on the prerequisite issue, it's the same sort of thing, our international colleagues can't believe it when we tell them we don't have prerequisites for university study, maths prerequisite internationally."
Students coming to university 'unprepared'
Professor Prince said introducing compulsory subjects for entry into university courses like commerce and engineering would be a crucial first step to improving Australia's maths performance.
If the kids don't take the appropriate maths courses at school, then they sort of come with their hands ties behind their backs.
Professor Praeger, University of Western Australia
"The widespread absence of prerequisites is sending a message to Australian school communities that maths is not important and that's having a significant detrimental effect on maths enrolments around the country, but also the resourcing of maths in schools around the country, so there's that system issue," he said.
The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute said only 14 per cent of the nation's science degrees require maths as a condition of entry.
In NSW, no university enforces a maths prerequisite on any science, technology, engineering or mathematics courses, the institute said.
Professor Praeger said that they had a "duty of care" to students.
"To make sure that when students come to university to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics, that they're properly prepared for it and that they're not coming without the subjects which they really need, which really hasn't been communicated to them that this is what they need for success," Professor Praeger said.
"If the kids don't take the appropriate maths courses at school, then they sort of come with their hands ties behind their backs and they have to make up some of those units at the university and it takes a longer time and they cut off their options."
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham will today launch the Federal Government's 10 year plan for the future of maths.
As well as prerequisites, the report recommends tackling Australia's shortage of specialised maths teachers and creating a national mathematics research centre.
Sited: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-17/maths-must-be-mandatory-university-degree-prerequisite-experts/7253286
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