Home / News / Australian Mathematical Science Institute says cuts to Maths staff at VU will lead to teacher shortages in West
Australian Mathematical Science Institute says cuts to Maths staff at VU will lead to teacher shortages in WestPlease find recent article from the Maribyrnong Leader about cuts to Maths at VU. The Australian Mathematical Science Institute has written a letter to Vice Chancellor Liz Harman indicating that the proposed reduction of staff will “threaten the provision of tertiary mathematics education and the training of secondary mathematics teachers in the western suburbs”.
It is of great concern that Victoria University continues to cut courses such as maths when there is a demonstrable need in the community for these courses to be taught.
The article from the Maribyrnong Leader:
Not doing the maths
Cuts will lead to teacher shortage, Victoria Uni warned Uni cuts
MATHEMATICIANS are the latest to hit out at Victoria University’s cost-cutting plans, with Australia’s peak maths-science group warning they could lead to a maths teacher shortage in western suburbs high schools.
The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute has also criticised plans to “abandon support” for a key research group and place “undue reliance on casual staff (which) will weaken the quality of the university’s mathematical program”.
In a letter to VU Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Harman, institute director Geoff Prince outlines a “deep concern” that the university’s teaching and research standards are set to fall. The university’s plans also “threaten the provision of tertiary mathematics education and the training of secondary mathematics teachers in the western suburbs”.
“Students at Victoria University deserve the dedication and encouragement of continuing academic staff committed to improving mathematical outcomes for students in the West,” Dr Prince said.
Victoria University representatives did not respond to the Leader’s queries by deadline, but Prof Harman has described the university’s $27 million cost-cutting plans, announced last October, as “futureproofing”. “While the university has been consistently returning a surplus each year, we need to rebalance our budget if we are going to have the means to invest in new facilities and services to meet the growth demands of the western region of Melbourne,” a statement said.
The National Tertiary Education Union has been lobbying against the planned cuts, particularly in science, engineering and languages. About 270 staff are expected to lose their jobs under the plan to save the university $27 million.
Ethnic councils, teachers and students attacked plans to cut several language courses, transferring students to Melbourne University classes.
