Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Adjournment

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (18:05): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

Education

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (18:06): (1274) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Education, and it is good to follow on from our previous debate. The issue that I raise is one that affects all of our Victorian children and the prosperity of our state, and that is the alarming decline in mathematics outcomes in Victoria. Recent statistics reveal a troubling trend. According to the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment, the PISA, Victorian students have seen a significant drop in mathematical proficiency over the last two decades. I am old enough to have completed back before the Boer War what we used to call pure and applied, but nowadays we call it math methods and specialist methods – not only a very worthwhile academic pursuit but a pursuit for prosperity and creation of jobs and career opportunities. Australia was ranked, in 2002, 11th globally, and now we have fallen to 29th place out of 38 countries. In Victoria this decline is particularly concerning as nearly half of our 15-year-olds are failing to meet national standards of proficiency.

It cannot be overstated: mathematics is not just a subject, it is a critical skill that underpins many aspects of modern life and is essential for a wide range of career opportunities, from engineering to technology, from finance to health care. Proficiency in maths opens the door to high-paying and high-demand jobs. Strong skills are skills for life and foster innovation and competition in our state.

The decline in mathematics outcomes has far-reaching implications. It limits our students’ career opportunities and hampers our state’s ability to attract and retain industries that rely on a skilled workforce, and we saw that with leading academics having this same conversation. This must be reversed, and the education minister must put heart and soul into this focus. We certainly saw in the education inquiry the importance, the need and requirement to put a greater focus on and target for government of, not only in mathematics, which is the topic of my interest tonight, but also in literacy, long-term and short-term goals. That was also universally adopted and accepted by the Grattan Institute think tank.

What I am calling on the minister to do is to take action to address this decline in standards. It includes investing in teacher training to ensure that educators are equipped with the best techniques, incorporating technology and innovation in our teaching to provide that mentorship for teachers, provide that support for our students and provide the ability to further our mathematical skills.