William Atkins
Friday, 12 March 2010 01:05
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 4
Australia’s national scientific research organization, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is multiplying its efforts to add mathematical interest among its country’s students as Australia sees a greater need for mathematicians through 2013.
In the March 11, 2010 CSIRO press release “
CSIRO tackling Australia’s maths crisis,” the organization is highlighting the study of mathematics in Australia by announcing the Group of Eight Universities' (Go8) report entitled “
Review of Education in Mathematics, Data Science and Quantitative Disciplines.”
The Group of Eight Universities (
Go8) is a coalition of eight major universities in Australia whose aim is to improve the quality of education in Australia for its overall betterment.
The Go8 includes the University of Western Australia, the University of Melbourne, the University of Adelaide, the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, the University of Queensland, the University of New South Wales, and Monash University.
In the CSIRO report, the Go8 report found that the
“… state of the mathematical and quantitative sciences in Australia has; ‘deteriorated to a dangerous level, and continues to deteriorate’.”According to the Go8 report, from 2001 to 2007 the percentage of mathematics majors in Australia’s colleges declined by about 15%.
And, the number of students taking advanced mathematics courses also declined, going down by 27% from 1995 to 2007.
However, according to the Go8 report, the demand for mathematics majors in Australian professional fields is predicted to increase by 3.5% annually through the year 2013.
Page two continues with information on downloading the Go8 report, along with conclusions made within the report and comments from one of its authors.
