Malcolm Turnbull Wants Science And Maths To Become Compulsory For Uni-Bound Year 12s
Making maths and science prerequisite subjects for prospective uni students is “a big priority” for the government, the PM has announced.
The news was met with joy across the land.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull dropped the STEM hammer while on the hustings in the Sydney seat of MacArthur, ABC News reports.
"We're ensuring, and working with the states and territories, to ensure kids have to do maths or science to finish high school," he said.
"More universities are requiring and they should all require in due course that maths or science should be a prerequisite school subject to have completed to go onto university.”
One of those unis is the University of Sydney, which earlier this year revealed mid-level maths would be compulsory for 62 of its degrees. It was considered, at the time, the first step to making STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses a compulsory prerequisite at all Aussie unis.
In May of 2015, then-Education Minister Christopher Pyne floated the possibility of STEM subjects becoming compulsory for upper school students in Victoria, NSW and the ACT. (Students in Queensland and South Australia are already expected to take one maths subjects in their final years.)
Though the concept of compulsory maths and science courses may be horrifying for arts and humanities students, the PM insists re-embracing STEM is an essential requirement for Australia’s future success.
The question on maths and science as a requirement for Year 12 students was put to the PM by the ABC’s 12-year-old rookie reporter Maya.
“If we don’t have more students studying science and technology -STEM subjects – our growth, our future, your future as a young Australian, will be put at risk," he said.
“The 21st century is a century characterised by rapid economic change. We all envy your youth. We all wish you were as young as you.
"The world is transforming at a pace never seen before and it's been driven by technology and by the imagination of young people like yourself."
Late last year, it was revealed that more than 70 per cent of Aussies were studying for careers that were soon to be obsolete, on account of automation. (tl:dr? the robots are coming.)
It’s never been a more exciting time to be a cybernetic automaton.
FYI: Here’s Where The Major Parties Stand On School Funding, Uni Fees And HELP Repayments This Election
Last year, we asked our members: Should Maths And Science Be Compulsory In Years 11 And 12?
Photo: Facebook / Malcolm Turnbull.
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it shouldn't be compulsory because this will result in a lot of kids doing six subjects just so they can get an acceptable atar.
Not a good idea because am pretty sure no one would like to use his head in maths during his or her last year.On the other hand, there may be students who would want an atar and suck at maths or science
that would end up bringing a lot of kids' ops down. i just transferred out of biology (i'm in yr 11) because i knew that if i stayed in it, especially in yr 12, i wouldnt be able to reach my OP 6 goal. This is unfair and useless.
also - i'm in qld and i can agree with the compulsory maths as someone who experiences it. but science - it's useless, terrible for mental health, and would make a lot of classes crowded and give an unhealthy learning area with students who don't want to be there and misbehave.
I'll preface this with the fact that i'm currently a second year Engineering student.
I feel that maths should be compulsory, it is used all around us, and i have seen other students that can't do basic maths.
However, Science i don't feel should be. For a vast majority of courses, you will never need Physics, Chemistry or Biology. This then starts to cramp up the classes with students who don't want to be there. Coming from a rural public high school, i've also been affected by students who didn't want to be at school, so they mess around and prevent me from learning. Requiring students in this boat to be in the same class will just effect more students.