Support for Australian Maths a Growing Imperative. (March 4, 2009)

Professor Hyam Rubinstein

Today marks the opening day of the 2009 three-day national conference in Canberra on the future of higher education in Australia. It involves over 300 delegates including the vice-chancellors of 39 Australian universities.

According to Universities Australia chief executive Dr Glenn Withers a range of key issues are listed for discussion: "The future of Federal Government policy, whether it will re-balance towards a better and proper [financial] support as we see it, and how we deal with things like the global financial crisis and wider issues such as social inclusion and climate change."

Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard and the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Kim Carr are scheduled to attend, but how long they will stay to listen is problematic, though it is likely that one or more of their staffs will be detailed to spend time with conferees.

One of the matters almost sure NOT to get much attention from the delegates, let alone the ministers, is the continued decline in the representation of the mathematical sciences in teaching and research at all educational levels.

Funny that, because if language is the foundation of modern civilization, mathematics is its key stone.

Yesterday the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute issued an eleven page apologia A National Strategy for Mathematical Sciences in Australia written by the chair of the National Committee for the Mathematical Sciences, Melbourne University professor Hyam Rubinstein.

Here in outline are the points raised:

1. The Challengers:

   1.  Demand for mathematics and statistics graduates—and graduates with substantive mathematics within other degrees such as engineering and economics—in the Australian economy has outstripped supply in recent years and is forecast to continue doing so.

   2. Demand for mathematics teachers continues to be an area of particular pressure.

   3. Unsurprisingly, the quality of mathematics education has declined in Australia over the past decade.

   4. Should current trends in tertiary mathematics education continue, there is little prospect of turning the situation around.

   5. This is devastating since it will lead to rising inequality in access to mathematics education for young Australians.

   6. There are worrying ramifications for the future of Australian science.
       

2.  The Solutions are discussed under four headings:
   

   1. Mathematical sciences and their importance to Australia.
       
          Mathematical sciences are a hidden achiever. It is not obvious to the community at large that mathematics and statistics are critical to the vast majority of technologies they use every day. Four measures are therefore proposed that would put mathematics and statistics clearly into the public arena. These measures are intended to inspire students and their parents to appreciate both the importance of the mathematical sciences and the many exciting career options that depend upon developing good mathematical skills.
       

   2. Well qualified teachers of mathematics in schools.
       
         If more Australian students are to study advanced mathematics and if students at all levels are to have an appropriate number of hours of instruction, it is clear that additional measures must be taken by our governments. The following seven initiatives address the current inequity in access to a quality mathematics education. Inequitable access is now endemic in Australia. The proposed measures are designed to improve the quality and quantity of mathematics teaching and learning and provide a mechanism for rewarding good mathematics teachers in primary and secondary schools.
       

   3. Mathematical sciences in the university sector.
       
         Mathematical sciences will never be strong in Australian schools, communities and businesses without an appropriate foundation in our universities. However political leadership is needed if Australia is to develop an outstanding higher education system for mathematics.
         Our universities need to ensure that all Australian students have access to a major in the mathematical sciences should they wish to pursue one. The integrity and standard of mathematics and statistics courses taught outside mathematical sciences departments must be monitored for content and standards. Our federal government needs to provide a more strategic use of the HECS reductions to encourage students to include mathematics and statistics in science degrees. We also need to be certain that our immigration policies do not cause Australia to lose in the international competition for mathematical talent. To these, and related, ends we are proposing eight additional measures.
       

   4. Mathematical and statistical infrastructure.
       
         The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) is core infrastructure supporting many activities that simply would not occur otherwise. An example is an industry workshop in July where the OECD is funding 15 participants from developing countries. Another example is the internship program for postgraduate students. Until the mathematical sciences are rebuilt, AMSI is the only way that Australia can provide collaborative, national mathematical infrastructure across the broader research community, business, industry and education. Through its members and the Australian Council of Heads of Mathematical Sciences for which it provides administrative support, AMSI is well placed to provide core support for teaching and research in mathematics as well as evidence for policy in the mathematical sciences. We are calling for support for this mathematical and statistical infrastructure in four ways.
       

Professor Rubinstein summarises the matter:

A National Strategy

The mathematical sciences are in need of repair. The time has passed when any single initiative will suffice and a coordinated national strategy is now required. The issues discussed here should be of concern in every State and Territory and in every electorate. The inequitable access to a quality mathematics education is a national disgrace. It will not be solved by isolated measures.

Many of the proposals put forward concern education. However, mathematical infrastructure for business, industry and research also concern the Science and Innovation portfolio. This is where policy for the promotion of science is currently situated and is where new policies for the promotion of mathematical sciences may possibly belong.

In recent years, the UK has turned its performance in mathematical sciences and education around in a remarkable way by combining aggressive teacher recruitment with substantial inducements, regulation of teacher education numbers to match demand from schools, an impressive careers program supported by the government and professional societies, and the designation of mathematics as part of the strategically important subjects program. Two tables from the London Mathematical Society concerning applicants for undergraduate mathematics programs and graduate teacher numbers are shown in Appendix 3.

The truth is Australian mathematics and mathematics education are in a dire state. But the British example shows that it is possible, by acting strategically, to turn things around. The mathematical sciences community asks for a bipartisan, national approach to ensure that similar results can be achieved in Australia. To quote the 2006 Review:

“Australia is a big country, with a dispersed population. Ensuring a mathematical sciences base that supports teaching, research, and industry in remote and rural areas as well as the major population centres is a challenging task. With sufficient will it can be done.”

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