Increase In Class Time for Mathematics and Science
A recent article written by The Australian National Education Correspondent Rebecca Urban notes that girls are exceeding their male counterparts in Senior subjects, including those that were once traditionally considered “male subjects” such as Science and Mathematics. The article states that although girls studying these subjects are achieving higher grades, the representation of females in Science and Mathematics careers still remains low.
The Science and Mathematics Faculties at St Catherine’s are committed to promoting girls to careers that they might never have considered 30 years ago. Our 2019 changes to the academic program incorporates additional time in the Years 7 to 10 Mathematics allocation in a bid to enable the girls to transition confidently into their VCE Mathematics courses. This year, the girls receive an additional 24 hours of time in class, and in comparison with 30 like schools across Victoria, St Catherine’s places in the top quartile for hours in the subject. Head of Mathematics, Mrs Janette Matt, believes the increased time this year has eased the pace of the class and enables more time for the girls to step through the curriculum and to work through problems in class time with the support of their teacher.
Our Year 10 Science program now provides students wishing to study Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Psychology the opportunity to select semester long courses in each of the Science domains; thus more than doubling their time in the specific subjects. With one term complete, the outcomes of this change to the academic model are already being recognised. St Catherine’s Head of Science, Mrs Vanessa Jackson-McRae has observed that the Year 10 students’ desire to succeed has increased this year and the lesson content in Year 10 is now firmly pitched at the VCE 1&2 level.
The Science and Mathematics Faculties are keen to invite professionals working in the Science, Mathematics and Technology fields to speak to the students about their work and provide an insight into pursuing a career in these fields.
No subject too hard for those willing to apply themselves
By Rebecca Urban, National Education Correspondent.
Published 8 March 2018 in The Australian.
Anyone still in doubt about the enormous strides that girls have made in education over the past few decades need only take a glance at the Year 12 honour rolls from last year.
In NSW in 2018, two-thirds of Year 12 subjects were topped by girls, including several science and mathematics subjects that not so long ago were considered typically “male subjects”.
Preliminary HSC results show that girls achieved a higher average Australian Tertiary Admission Rank than boys, at 71.10 compared to 67.80.
Since the endorsement of Australia’s first national policy for the education of girls in schools in 1987, there has been significant interest in and awareness of the educational needs of girls and, not surprisingly, performance. While girls outperforming boys started dominating the headlines from the mid-1990s, there is evidence that from the time that girls were first permitted to sit the high school matriculation exams in the 1880s, they were holding their own.
“The neuroscience is quite clear, there’s no so-called pink brain or blue brain,” says Loren Bridge, executive director of the Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia. “Any differences (in academic achievement) usually come down to the learning environment and any gender biases they bring.”
Data collected via NAPLAN shows girls outperform boys in most categories, from Year 3 on, recording higher mean scores for reading, writing, spelling and grammar and punctuation.
However, boys come out ahead in numeracy.
Science isn’t assessed annually, although sample testing conducted in 2015 revealed that Year 6 girls, for the first time, were performing significantly better than their male counterparts. They were also reporting strong interest in learning new things in science and doing science-based activities.
Yet, by the time girls reach their senior secondary years, many have given up on the subject, as well as maths. Girls are now outnumbered four to one in senior physics classes and almost two to one in advanced maths. It is hardly surprising that women make up just 16 per cent of university science, technology, engineering and maths, also known as STEM, graduates.
The Office of the Chief Scientist has done extensive work in a bid to bust the myths that are blamed for holding girls back from STEM careers, including that “girls are bad at maths”.
Having analysed scientific literature from around the world it found girls outperformed boys in mathematics in 13 countries, compared to seven countries where boys outperformed girls. It concluded that here was “no innate difference in mathematics ability”.
Another myth is the claim that women are “disinterested” in the fields of engineering physics. Yet, according to the Chief Scientist, women’s participation in these domains increases in “inclusive cultural environments”. Women actually account for 40 per cent of engineers in China and 44 per cent of engineering graduates in Malaysia. Here, just 14 per cent of engineers are women.
Caitlin Abood, a first-year student at the University of Sydney, describes herself as studious, drawn to logic and a keen problem solver. Still, as a primary school student, she struggled with mathematics and recalls thinking to herself “if I can’t be good at maths, I will just find something else I’m good at”.
Fortunately, her mother was having none of that and urged her to try a little harder, to practise a little longer, and that she’d “get it” in the end.
And she was right.
“I took it as a challenge, I guess, and I grew to like maths,” the 18-year-old says. “And by my senior secondary years I found I really excelled at it.”
Easter Services
Parents are invited to attend the Easter Church Services next week:
- Senior School – Wednesday 3 April at 2.00pm, St John’s Anglican Church
- Junior School – Friday 5 April at 2.00pm, St John’s Anglican Church.
End of Term 1 and Start of Term 2 Dates and Times
St Catherine’s School families are reminded of our end of Term 1 dates and times this year. Our endeavour is to reduce the disruption and loss to academic time with the final day of school next Friday at the following staggered times:
- Early Learning Centre: 3.00pm
- Prep to Year 2: 3.15pm
- Senior School: 3.20pm
- Years 3 to 6: 3.30pm.
I ask parents to also note the first week of Term 2 is unusual in that ANZAC Day falls on the first Thursday of the term. Lessons for all students, however, do resume after the two week holiday period on Tuesday 23 April. Thank you in advance for your support in ensuring your daughters and children in the ELC are in class for the commencement of Term 2.
