Dismal math results can’t be ignored

Australian school students' poor performance in mathematics could harm the economy and the next generation's job prospects, according to a University of Queensland researcher. The results from the 2018 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reveal that Australian students' mathematics performance ranked 20 or above on a decreasing scale of one to 26. Professor Diane Donovan , from UQ's School of Mathematics and Physics , said the test results were not the most alarming element of PISA's report. "The test scores by themselves are really not that important," she said. "What is important is the fact that our education system is not equipping our students with the necessary skills and knowledge to survive in this technological age. "With our dependency on technology, it's vital Australian students are able to perform at the highest level, showing a capability for advanced mathematical thinking and reasoning. "It's also critical that all students can perform at the minimal level, identifying information and executing routine procedures and instructions in explicit situations - and that's currently not the case.