Page 2626 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 June 2005
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benchmark in Singapore is 43 per cent. In Australia only seven per cent of students study high level maths.
In estimates, Ms Gallagher and her bureaucrats defended the current trend on the grounds that in Australia we have a more cooperative and team-based approach, and that this is not conducive to mathematical training.
MR SPEAKER: Order! The member’s time has expired.
MRS DUNNE: Mr Speaker, I will take my second allotment of time. Advisers at estimates told us that Singaporeans place much more emphasis on content and less on a cooperative team-based approach, as we do in Australia, where there are a variety of approaches being used—a combination of rote and cooperative learning. According to Ms Gallagher, the ACT curriculum is as relevant as possible to the world in which the kids live. It is as relevant as possible but they do not know their tables. I know that my children do not know their tables and I do something about it to ensure that they do.
Ms Gallagher says that we are trying to promote and foster a whole range of skills through the delivery of a comprehensive curriculum. I would like to talk about the curriculum. We have this wonderful document. I have been criticised for being ignorant and not knowing anything about curriculum because, as Ms Gallagher said, I was not a teacher. Perhaps she should read my CV from time to time before she makes such statements.
Mr Hargreaves: Can you say your seven-times table?
MRS DUNNE: Yes I can do my seven-times table, and I really love it. We were told wonderful meaningless things. We were told that students understand and apply numbers. After a bit of burble we were then told that they calculate by choosing and using a variety of strategies and tools, including written and calculator methods when numbers are beyond their mental scope. That is usually when you get to 13 times 13, Mr Speaker.
What we have here in the ACT is a complete failure to really address the falling decline in a whole range of our curriculum areas, particularly numeracy. Society increasingly depends on mathematical competence at all levels but standards are actually falling. And do not believe me; believe the experts—the people who have been teaching for longer than I did.
As indicated in submissions to the House of Representatives committee on teacher training, there is a huge drop-out rate among maths students in years 11 and 12. Also, there is a serious and worsening shortage of qualified mathematics teachers and most of those undertaking teacher training in mathematics have no formal qualifications in mathematics at the beginning of their training. Data from the Australian Mathematical Sciences Foundation on students entering mathematics teacher training courses show that only four of 31 universities require year 12 mathematics of any type; so you could leave school tomorrow, go to university and become a maths teacher and not have done year 12 maths. Another eight indicate that they require only year 11 maths. The remaining 19 do not have any requirements for maths as an entry to become a maths teacher.
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