Victorian year 8 maths and science results stagnating

A global snapshot has revealed Victorian year 8 students are ranking low in maths and science — with results stagnating over the past 30 years — sparking calls to make more STEM subjects available at all levels.

One in three Victorian year eight students are ranked low, or ‘below low’ in maths and science.

One in three Victorian year 8 students is ranked low or “below low” in maths and ­science, a new global snapshot has revealed, with little ­improvement over the past three decades among the most struggling pupils.

The four-yearly Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) shows Australian students overall have made solid progress in year 4 maths and science, but year 8 results have stagnated.

Our students are ranked eighth in the world for year 4 science, with students doing their first years of school during Covid defying concerns to achieve best-ever results.

But they come in at 20th for year 4 maths, being beaten by countries such as Lithuania, Romania, Latvia, Serbia and Bulgaria.

The results have led to a call for more maths and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects to be made available to students at all levels.

A gender gap of up to 10 per cent exists, with boys outperforming girls in every category. This gap is widest in year 4 maths, with 70 per cent of girls at or above the national standard compared to 80 per cent of boys – the widest gap, alongside France.

The global study shows that in 1995, 68 per cent of Victorian year 4 students were at or above standard in maths, rising to 75 per cent in 2023. Over the same period, year 4 science students improved from 75 per cent at or above standard to 86 per cent in 2023.

However, the gains were much slower in year 8 maths, rising only two percentage points to 67 per cent between 1995 and 2023.

Year 8 science saw stronger improvement, with those at or above standard rising from 64 to 70 per cent over the 28-year period.

The report was released by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on Wednesday night.

Lead author Nicole Wernert said there were “really positive results for our year 4 students, particularly since their first years of school were disrupted by Covid-19”.

She noted there was a “disappointing gender gap in favour of boys’ achievement across year levels and ­domains”.

Australian students are ranked eighth in the world for year four science.

The Centre for Independent Studies’ education policy program director, Glenn Fahey, said if Australia was to be “a STEM superpower in the ­future, we must achieve maths outcomes that compete with the world’s best”.

“Instead, Australia continues to perform as a second-rate country and well behind the world’s smartest countries,” Mr Fahey said.

Scientist Dr Matt Agnew, who has recently worked on Amazon’s STEM education program, said the performance of Australian year 4 students in maths and science was “fantastic” overall.

But he added it was “troubling” that 11 per cent of year 8 science students were considered “very low performers”.

“Having more STEM subjects available now – such as coding, 3D printing and ­design, astronomy and metalworking – is a great step in the right ­direction,” he added.

Matthew Ferguson, acting principal of Carlton North Primary School, said his school introduced STEM-specific subjects a decade ago.

“From foundation to year 6, our students are all studying topics such as robotics and coding, as well as learning science from classroom teachers,” Mr Ferguson said.

“Kids are really excited about where science is going.”