Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every now and again, you come across a compelling case for abolishing state governments, and, last week, Labor states' achievement—knocking off Christopher Pyne's proposal for maths as a core subject in senior school—was one of those moments. We have an opposition leader trying to teach coding at antenatal classes to children before they are born, and we have state Labor governments trying to kill off maths as a core subject in senior school. Let us not forget the numbers: only 30 per cent of Australian students are learning anything above basic-level maths, 40 per cent of all teachers teaching between year 7 and year 10 maths do not have any qualification to do it, and in the last 10 years we have slipped six months backwards for 15-year-olds worldwide on school performance. We have effectively lost six months of education based on quality.

Teachers have 12 weeks of holidays every year. They should credential up and become absolutely qualified to teach maths and start doing it. Here is an education minister doing the right thing for the future of Australia. Plenty of us need to be doing a lot more maths—not just to become maths teachers, but to be capable to engage in the 70 per cent of the fastest-growing occupations that rely on science and maths—occupations that are effectively being expropriated to other nations who train their children to do it. Get serious about maths! Do not use ridiculous excuses like: 'We need to make it more stimulating for them.' Seat belts do not need to be more stimulating; you just need to put the seat belt on. Maths does not need to be something that is optional—forget lifestyle studies and make maths a core subject across this nation.