Lack of university advice on maths ‘doesn’t add up’

Chief scientist Alan Finkel has called on universities to give students clear and consistent advice to take core subjects such as maths, English and sciences in senior high school.

‘Having a clear framework … would take a lot of the anxiety out of choosing school subjects,’ says Year 12 Perth student Alana Dooley. Picture: Colin Murty

Chief scientist Alan Finkel has called on universities to give students clear and consistent advice to take core subjects such as maths, English and sciences in senior high school because he believes an increasing number of students are entering university underprepared for their courses.

His call follows a new report by the Office of the Chief Scientist and the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, which found that only 19 of 1587 maths and ­science-related courses — including engineering, science, computer science, primary and secon­dary education, economics and commerce, health and medical sciences, and architecture — required higher level maths in Year 12.

The report, titled Mapping University Prerequisites in Australia, also found that only 15 per cent of 385 university science courses required students to do any science in senior high school.

“Completing fundamental subjects in secondary school, such as mathematics and science, combined with a strong foundation in English, is essential to equip young Australians with the skills and flexibility to navigate life post-school, regardless of whether they continue to tertiary studies or directly enter the workforce,” the report said.

The report divided Year 12 maths courses, which differ in each state and territory, into three categories: elementary, intermediate and higher, which is the most advanced level.

Dr Finkel said he was not advocating a return to a system of strict prerequisite subjects for university study because there were “valid and important reasons for flexibility in entry requirements”.

“What I am advocating is that universities develop a clear and common set of advice to students about fundamental subjects — English, maths, science, langu­ages and history — that will set them up best for success at university and throughout their lives,” he says in an opinion article published in The Australian on Wednesday. “The signals around these subjects should be strengthened so that students can make informed choices.”

Perth Year 12 student Alana Dooley, 18, said it could be “daunting” for students to select their final-year high school subjects ahead of university.

“Having a clear framework to advise the types of subjects you should study based on what you want to do at university would take a lot of the anxiety out of choosing school subjects in Years 11 and 12,” Ms Dooley said. “I knew I wanted to study physics, which made my decisions easier, but some of my classmates didn’t so it made it difficult for them.”

 

The final-year student from Warwick Senior High School said university outreach programs were helpful, and so were initi­atives like the National Youth Science Forum in which she participated in January to help students decide on their subjects.

Dr Finkel acknowledged that instead of rigid prerequisite subjects, some universities tell students what level of “assumed knowledge” is needed for a course, but he said the shift away from prerequisites had confused the signals for students about the subjects they should be taking.

 

The report found that 11 of Australia’s 40 universities had no maths prerequisites for any courses and 14 had no science prerequisites. Universities in Victoria and Queensland generally had more requirements on students to study maths and science in Year 12 than universities in other states.

The Chief Scientist-AMSI report decried the increased focus on students’ ATAR scores in Year 12, saying that selecting subjects to maximise the ATAR had contributed to the decline in the proportion of students studying higher level maths in senior high school, with many studying a level of maths below their ability.