UNIVERSITIES letting students with poor maths into science and engineering programs have been put on notice by federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne. Academics complain that maths prerequisites have been replaced at many institutions by vague references to “assumed knowledge”. They say students do not appreciate the mathematical foundation necessary until it is too late, leading to wasted money and time spent on bridging courses.
Article by Andrew Trounson, The Australian, 17 September 2014
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Geoff Prince, director of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, said ultimately universities had to be required to bring back hard prerequisites for courses demanding maths skills. However, improving the information for students was a first step. “The lack of prerequisites is just failing us,” he said.