News & Views item

International Committee Finds "The Future of Mathematical Sciences in Australia is in Jeopardy", States Urgent Action is Needed to Avert ‘Fatal Course’ of Mathematical Sciences in Australia. (December 14, 2006)

WORKING PARTY

Chair: Professor Hyam Rubinstein, FAA, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

Executive Director of Review: Associate Professor Barry Hughes, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Director, Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques, Bures-sur-Yvette, France

Dr Brenda Dietrich, Director, Mathematical Sciences, IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York, US

Professor Iain M. Johnstone, Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, US

Professor Peter Hall, FAA FRS, Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University

Dr Edwin van Leeuwen, Global Manager – Exploration and Mining, BHP Billiton

Ms Jan Thomas, Executive Officer, Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Chair: Professor Michael Cowling, FAA, President, Australian Mathematical Society Inc., School of Mathematics, University of New South Wales

Industry, university and government representatives from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

The year-long review, The National Strategic Review of Mathematical Research in Australia, released today, concludes representation of mathematics and statistics in Australia's university sector is dangerously deficient and recommends an immediate injection of funds to rebuild university mathematics and statistics departments, the protection of their autonomy, and ensuring the future of the Australian Mathematical Science Institute (AMSI).

The Review found, "In the past decade mathematics departments in the Group Of Eight universities have lost almost a third of their permanent academic staff [while m]athematics departments in smaller universities have disappeared, and a number of formerly strong departments have halved in size... In 2003, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Education At A Glance report showed that only 0.4% of Australian university students graduated with qualifications in mathematics or statistics, compared with the OECD average of 1%.
There is clear evidence that the current supply of trained mathematicians and statisticians is inadequate and decreasing."

In a joint statement the three overseas members of the working party said, "The mathematics skill base in any country is too important for its future prosperity to let short term market mechanisms act alone. We sincerely hope that leaders in Australian government, academia and industry will collaborate with the mathematics and statistics community to develop an appropriate vision, and spark an Australian renaissance in our field.

"Australia’s distinguished tradition and capability in mathematics and statistics is on a truly perilous path. The decline has already taken its toll: the university presence has been decimated, in part by unanticipated consequences of funding formulas and by neglect of the basic principle that mathematics be taught by mathematicians, and the supply of students and graduates is falling short of national needs."

The Review took place under the auspices of the National Committee for the Mathematical Sciences of the Australian Academy of Science. It included a national tour by the Working Party to meet stakeholders and interested persons from academia, business, government and the broader community.

The reviewers made the point that ought to have been obvious but is in fact increasingly ignored that "[m]athematical and statistical material taught to students in other disciplines — service teaching — needs to be up-to-date, accurate and presented in a way that meets the present and emerging needs of these disciplines. Such teaching is best delivered by mathematicians and statisticians.
"The transfer of mathematics and statistics service teaching to other departments delivers a poorer educational outcome. It is a major cause of the erosion of the national mathematical sciences infrastructure."

In addition they highlighted what is in effect a domino effect.

"Nationally, the percentage of Year 12 students taking higher level – advanced and intermediate – mathematics fell from 41% in 1995 to 34% in 2004. This is limiting the level of training that can be supplied in undergraduate degree programs such as commerce, education, engineering and science.
"Australian universities are lowering mathematics prerequisites and this is undermining enrolments in high school mathematics.
"Australia will be unable to produce the next generation of students with an understanding of fundamental mathematical concepts, problem-solving abilities and training in modern developments to meet projected needs and remain globally competitive."

And the Review's five overall recommendations are in turn divided into 18 sub-recommendations.

*1. Significantly increase the number of university graduates with appropriate mathematical and statistical training.*	*2. Broaden the mathematical sciences research base.*	*3. Identify, anticipate and meet industry needs for a pool of tertiary-trained expert mathematicians and statisticians.*	*4. Ensure that all mathematics teachers in Australian schools have appropriate training in the disciplines of mathematics and statistics to the highest international standards.*	*5. Encourage greater numbers of high school students to study intermediate and advanced mathematics.*
1a. RE-BUILD and/or MAINTAIN mathematical sciences departments in every Australian university, to provide a mutually supportive core informed by fundamental developments in the mathematical sciences. This is essential both for the specialist training of mathematicians and statisticians, and for appropriate training of other users of mathematics and statistics. 1b. ENSURE service teaching of mathematics and statistics is performed by mathematicians and statisticians, to provide up-to-date, soundly based courses. 1c. PROVIDE every university with the appropriate mathematical and statistical consulting infrastructure to ensure that research undertaken by staff and students is efficiently planned and the results validly assessed. This infrastructure is best provided from within a mathematical sciences department, rather than by relying on dispersed individual consultants with inadequate peer support.	2a. RE-ESTABLISH the critical mass for mathematical sciences research by rebuilding the numbers of permanent academic staff in mathematical sciences departments and providing career paths in Australian universities for talented early-career mathematicians and statisticians. 2b. PROVIDE new, additional and ongoing funding for Australia-wide networking to increase the strength of the national research enterprise. 2c. ENCOURAGE interdisciplinary work, especially in biological and medical sciences and in newly emerging areas. Ensure that such work is properly valued in research assessments and by granting agencies. 2d. Since 2002, the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) has supplied strong, unifying support for mathematical research, education and industry liaison. PROVIDE funding for AMSI that supports its critical role in providing national infrastructure for national and international collaboration.	3a. CREATE internship programs for undergraduates, research students and academic staff to spend time in industry and provide opportunities for industry-based mathematical scientists to contribute to teaching and research within universities. 3b. ENCOURAGE and SUPPORT applications for Linkage Grants and other schemes that bring together government, university and private resources for commercial and strategic collaboration. 3c. BUILD on existing structures and collaborations with international networks. 3d. INCREASE the engagement of mathematical scientists with the wider university community by joint appointments with other departments, interdisciplinary projects and shared supervision of research students and post-doctoral fellows. 3e. DEVELOP short courses and post-graduate programs to meet current and emerging needs of business and industry.	4a. ENSURE future teachers of mathematics in schools acquire adequate discipline knowledge — appropriate to the teaching level — provided by mathematical sciences departments, as well as education in the practicalities of teaching school mathematics. Faculties of education and mathematical sciences departments need to cooperate to ensure that both these aspects of the training of teachers are properly addressed. 4b. DEVELOP national accreditation standards for teachers of mathematics at all levels of schooling, to ensure that the mathematics training expected of teachers aligns with international best practice; and develop appropriate education programs to ensure that future teachers meet these standards. 4c. DEVELOP appropriate mathematics courses for trainee teachers, teachers requiring re-training, and those in the process of changing careers. PROVIDE relevant professional development in mathematical content for all mathematics teachers.	5a. In liaison with tertiary representatives, state and territory education departments, DEVELOP secondary mathematics syllabuses to take appropriate account of the legitimate needs of post-school education, in terms of topics covered and the level of understanding developed. 5b. PROMOTE the vast – and increasing – range of rewarding careers available through studying mathematics and statistics. 5c. REWARD students for taking intermediate and advanced mathematics at high school by including scaling or bonus mechanisms when computing the Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER) or other tertiary entrance scores.

The reviewers conclude with this remarkable quote -- remarkable not for what was said but for who said it: