The ATAR is under attack again, with claims that senior school students drop top-maths to ensure a higher uni entry score. This means they start maths-based uni courses unprepared. That the NSW Universities Admission Centre says such gaming does not go on and would not work even if it did (https://campusmorningmail.com.au/ CMM April 24) is unlikely to quieten advocates of the ATAR’s end. And universities are not likely to speak up for it, lest they draw attention to a reason why school students veg out on low-level maths. Chief Scientist Alan Finkel’s new report on industry-school STEM partnerships points out;

“Only five of 37 Australian universities require intermediate or advanced mathematics for entry into a bachelor of science and only four of 31 universities for entry into a bachelor of commerce. Thirty-Four Australian universities offer engineering degrees. Currently, only one requires advanced mathematics, and at least two do not require any mathematics at all.”

The result, Geoff Prince, from the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, warns is;

“historic lows in student participation in higher level mathematics, a trend fuelled by a lack of university pre-requisites. If we don’t deal with these issues they will block the effectiveness of many of the report’s recommendations,”