[Catalist] Innovation and Creativity in the National Workforce Report: May 2017

[Michael McGarry]

Greetings Science Colleagues,

“The House of Representatives’ standing committee on employment, education and training today, 19 06 2017, published its report on innovation and creativity within the national workforce.”

URL 1: https://www.itnews.com.au/news/australia-has-a-stem-decay-curve-465567 <https://www.itnews.com.au/news/australia-has-a-stem-decay-curve-465567>
As a retired physics teacher, I found anecdotal evidence in support of the reintroduction of the study of specialist mathematics as a prerequisite for entry into selected universities, and selected courses to be most compelling.

“Mathematics as a pre-requisite for tertiary study”

3.1 Universities stopped setting mathematics prerequisites for tertiary courses in the 1990s. While this system may have enabled some students to gain eligibility for courses, it has been criticised for undermining mathematics completion rates.

3.2 The Chief Scientist argued that the elimination of mathematics as a prerequisite for tertiary study is a systemic failure of Australia’s education system:

“The way to get kids doing maths properly is to look at what is currently a failure in the system, which is the elimination over the last 20 years of prerequisites. Bring back prerequisites for maths to get into university and that will impact maths education all the way down to primary school, because the principals will understand that you cannot train HSC year 12 students as effective maths achievers if you are not starting that job all the way through.”

URL 2: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/reportrep/024036/toc_pdf/Innovationandcreativity.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf <http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/reportrep/024036/toc_pdf/Innovationandcreativity.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf> [pp. 41–42]

I have uploaded the full Innovation and Creativity Report to the ASTARIX 2.0 e-Forum because now is the time to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of programs to enhance STEM education in Australian schools.

Best Wishes,

Michael John McGarry

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