MATHS

WHY MATHS?

Every maths teacher has been asked “When will I ever need to know how to <insert almost any topic here> in the real world?”, as though maths has nothing to do with ‘real’ jobs, careers and plans. In actual fact whether you dream of launching a start-up company, develop the next big app, change the world through medicine, finance or science then maths is the doorway that opens up all of these possibilities.

The language of maths is the tool that allows you to understand and solve the problems of tomorrow. So if you wonder when or where you’ll use maths then don’t - the challenges facing future generations may seem daunting but the answers involve maths.

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) skills are required in 75% of the fastest growing jobs. But what exactly are these skills and how do we develop them? It is about making sense of data, designing the homes and cities of the future and developing new technologies we cannot even imagine yet. It boils down to being able to make connections between the known and the not yet imaginable, solve problems and be agile thinkers. In 2020 we have new study designs at VCE for General, Methods and Specialist Maths that aim to prepare students to be the innovators of the future.

In the words of Dr Alan Finkel, formally Australia’s Chief Scientist (2016-2020) and now Special Advisor to the Australian Government on low emissions technology:

“The power of mathematics is nothing new. Mathematicians have been winning wars, fighting crime, building cities, tackling epidemics and driving research – not to mention getting rich - for quite some time now.”

However, all of this relies on a strong foundation of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and probability and statistics developed throughout Prep-10. So maths matters to Mathematicians, Scientists, and Economists, Business owners, Doctors, Politicians, Tradies, Teachers and many more – in short to all of us.

If you are interested in knowing more chat to your maths teacher or check out the Careers in Maths page at the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) at https://careers.amsi.org.au/

Emma Mullane

Learning Specialist and Year 12 Maths Teacher