640 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION J. 



STATEMENT RE ' REPORT ON THE TEACHING OF 

 MATHEMATICS IN AUSTRALIA. 



By Professor H. S. Carslaw, Sc.D. 



Professor Carslaw made a statement to the educational section, 

 upon the work of the International Commission on the Teaching of 

 Mathematics, on which he is the representative for Australia. He 

 had been asked by the Central Committee to draw up a report on 

 the teaching of mathematics in Australia. The Departments of 

 Education in the States had placed in his hands useful information 

 bearing upon the mathematical work in the State high schools, the 

 training colleges for teachers, and the technical institutions; and 

 from the mathematical departments of several of the universities 

 he had obtained an account of the work in their classes. 



He pointed out the influence of the Public Examinations of the 

 Universities upon the nature and extent of the mathematical work 

 in the secondary schools, laying stress upon the risks of cramming, 

 attendant upon such written examinations, when they formed the 

 sole test of tlie pupil's work, and when the public judged the success 

 of the school by the number of passes obtained by it. He called 

 attention to the fact that the requirements of these examinations 

 were far from uniform, and mentioned that the several universities 

 demanded very different minimum standards in mathematics at en- 

 trance. He referred to important changes recently made in New 

 South Wales, following upon the introduction in that State of 

 recognised four years' courses of secondary education. An im- 

 portant system of intermediate and leaving certificates had also 

 been adopted in that State, which would probably very shortly 

 supersede the Public Examinations of the University of Sydney. 



He suggested that it would be well if a small committee of the 

 section were appointed to co-operate with him in putting this report 

 into its final form, so that it might be more representative of the 

 mathematical work in the schools and universities throughout the 

 Commonwealth . 



COMMITTEES RECOMMENDED. 

 The following resolutions were approved : — 



1. That the following committee, with power to add to their 

 number, be appointed to consider the best means of 

 securing the efficient teaching of English pronuncia- 

 tion in Australasian universities, training colleges, 

 and schools. — Mr. L. A. Adamson (convener), Pro- 

 fessor A. W. Mackie, Sir Winthrop Hackett, Dr. A. 

 J. Schulz. 



