Are Mathematicians Speaking to the Hand? (June 3, 2009)

Two-and-a-half years ago TFW wrote:

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).

Considering the calibre of those engaged in the review it ought to have been taken seriously and by university administrators as well as the nation's parliamentarians, state as well as federal.

_________________________________________

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.

_____________________________________

So where are we 2.5 years and a change of federal government down the track?

As Andrew Trounson puts it: "In its final budget, the Howard government increased cluster funding for maths and the Rudd Government has reduced student HECS fees on science, maths and teaching, while boosting money for school numeracy and reviewing the curriculum," while the chairman of the Australian Academy of Science mathematical sciences committee, Hyam Rubinstein, notes that "the increased funding for maths teaching had largely been been absorbed into university general revenue and he feared HECS discounts simply would result in more science graduates teaching maths with insufficient maths training."

Now the Group of Eight has commissioned mathematician Gavin Brown, former vice-chancellor of The University of Sydney and current director of the new Royal Institution of Australia in Adelaide, to head a review into maths and the data sciences, with a September deadline in the hope it may influence the 2010/11 federal budget deliberations.

According to Professor Brown matters have degraded to the point that: "Students are increasingly coming into university not being equipped to do the quantitative things they need to do. They eventually discover they need some of these skills and it is then hard to fit in the remedial teaching." He suggests looking into setting up bridging courses as a temporary solution.

If the future well being of the nation is highly dependent on the sciences, and the foundation of science is mathematical, the way things are going we're building our future on sand, and quicksand at that.