Reserve
Bank's Heather Ridout has commented on the
plunging number of enrollments in HSC level science and mathematics, claiming
that the numbers are 'very worrying,' and a major 'economic threat to
Australia'.
'We're
going into this economy where the sciences are going to be more and more
important,' said Ridout, 'and it's vital that women have those skills.' Recent
studies have found the number of girls not taking any HSC level
mathematics has more than tripled in the last decade, while the number of boys
not taking the subject has also declined significantly.
Many
have expressed their concerns that the declining trend will solidify the pay
gap between genders. 'It's going to perpetuate the under-representation of
women in the finance industry … and in areas like engineering, which has been
really hard for women to break into,' Ridout said.
Dr
Rachel Wilson, who helped prepare the report in question as part of the
University of Sydney's educational assessment department, further commented
that Australia risks falling behind other developed countries if there is not a
major cultural shift in the approach and appreciation of mathematic's value in
society. 'If we want to think of ourselves as a smart country, we can't do that
without having maths at high-school graduation,' she said. 'Because at the
moment we are the sore thumb sticking out.'
Leave
us your thoughts in the comments section; Does Australia face major economic
detriment with the decline of HSC level enrollments? How can we encourage
students – particularly females – to continue their mathematical studies?
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