there are so far 3 letters to the editor 21.4.2026 in the smh published today:
letter 1
It’s a concern that one-third of students attempting Advanced Mathematics for the HSC abandon it after one year (“The HSC subject 8000 students dumped last year”, April 20). “Advanced” maths is not the highest level, yet it includes the study of basic calculus, which is advisable and often a prerequisite for many diverse tertiary subjects ranging from psychology to economics, in addition to the more obvious engineering. I suggest that “real” mathematics begins with HSC Advanced because of the calculus content, whereas the more popular standard level could be regarded as advanced arithmetic. The message that “ambitious parents” are responsible is not surprising. Former teachers, myself included, have witnessed the increasing influence of parents in the conduct of school affairs, particularly in the past decade, and school administrators giving in to parental pressure, ill-advised or otherwise. Max Redmayne, Drummoyne
letter 2
More students dropped Advanced Mathematics between years 11 and 12 because more students do maths in the first place. If you look at the percentage changes in the table, Advanced Mathematics isn’t even the worst and there is a reduction for almost every subject. There is a minimum number of units that students must do for the HSC, so many students start year 11 doing more than the minimum and then drop one or two units in year 12 to concentrate on preferred subjects that will give them the highest result. There is nothing sinister in these results. It would be more interesting to see how the subjects being studied were changing over time, and particularly if that showed a drop in the proportion of students doing Advanced Mathematics. That would be worrying. David Rush, Lawson
letter 3
As a former head of the NSW Department of Education, Mark Scott would understand that there is clear guidance on time allocation for mathematics in primary schools, with approximately 20 per cent of the school week dedicated to the subject. In practice, school leadership teams, alongside classroom teachers, are responsible for planning and implementing this within their timetables – and in my experience they do so with professionalism and care. The reality is that the vast majority of primary educators work diligently to build strong foundational mathematical skills. Comments suggesting otherwise undermine the work of committed professionals and misrepresent the quality of teaching and learning taking place in primary classrooms every day. Margie Christowski, Roseville
www.smh.com.au
