NSW Axes Plans for Year 11 and 12 Compulsory Maths

A teacher talks to pupils during a maths lesson at the Ridings Federation Winterbourne International Academy in Winterbourne, England, on Feb. 26, 2015. Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The Independent Education Union of Australia (IEUA) has welcomed the NSW Education Standards Authority’s (NESA) decision to keep offering mathematics as an optional subject for Years 11 and 12 students.

The previous New South Wales (NSW) Berejiklian government intended to mandate math for all students in Years 11 and 12 from 2026, but that plan has just been scrapped.

NESA clarified in a letter to schools that mathematics will now remain optional for senior students.

IEUA NSW/ACT branch Secretary Carol Matthews hailed the decision as a sensible response amidst record-high teacher shortages in the state’s metropolitan and regional areas.

Despite 460 fewer teacher vacancies than last year, the number of teacher vacancies at the start of this school year remained high at 1,782, indicating an ongoing shortage in the education sector.

“There is already a serious shortage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers, with teachers of other subjects taking classes out of their field of expertise. This shortage is particularly problematic with the higher levels of mathematics in Years 11 and 12 and would have been exacerbated considerably if maths were made compulsory,” Ms. Matthews said.

The IEU, representing over 32,000 teachers and support staff in non-government schools, has opposed compulsory mathematics since it was first proposed in 2019.

At the time, former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said compulsory maths aligned with her vision for every child in NSW to have essential math skills for success in managing budgets and preparing for future careers in science, technology, and engineering.

However, in several non-government schools, religious studies is already mandatory in Years 11 and 12, along with two units of English.

Therefore, some argue that making maths a mandatory third course would significantly limit students’ subject options.

“The unintended consequence of limiting student subject choice would mean reduced enrolment in a range of other subjects,” Ms. Matthews said.

“Compulsory maths would have effectively made six out of the 10 units of study compulsory in many non-government schools.”

Education Minister Prue Car highlighted that the former NSW government announced the decision in 2019 “without consultation” and that no steps were taken to move forward with its implementation.

“At the same time they presided over a chronic teacher shortage across the state, particularly in mathematics,” she said.

NESA to Evaluate HSC Minimum Standard

She said the current Minns government prioritised “developing earlier interventions to ensure every student is supported to develop important numeracy skills before they leave school.”

In line with this, NESA stated that it will evaluate the HSC minimum standard in line with the implementation of the kindergarten to year 12 mathematics syllabuses.

The HSC minimum standard, currently set at Level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework, signifies the proficiency level in reading, writing, and numeracy necessary for students in NSW to earn their Higher School Certificate (HSC).

“Recognising that maths and numeracy skills must be addressed as early as possible, this evaluation will consider the effectiveness, timing and current requirements of the HSC minimum standard,” a NESA spokesperson said.

The assessment will propose methods to assist teachers in addressing “potential learning gaps” earlier in students’ high school education.

NESA will provide recommendations in 2025.

NSW Teachers Now Nation’s Highest Paid

Addressing the teacher shortage, the NSW government stated that teachers began the new school year as “the highest paid in the country” following an unprecedented pay agreement reached in September last year.

The new seven-step agreement offers entry-level salaries up to $95,490 for fresh graduates and up to $145,985 annually for experienced teachers.

“Getting permanent, well-paid teachers into our classrooms will pay dividends down the line when it comes to academic outcomes for our students,” Ms. Car said.

Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) Director Professor Tim Marchant said “each generation of students deserves teachers that have been trained in the field.”

He said the teacher shortage worsened over time as math graduates were lured into data science roles with high starting salaries of $100,000 to $200,000, far surpassing the former starting salary of $74,000 to $75,000 for graduate teachers in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia.