Overview

• One in three Australian students fails to meet basic maths proficiency, with disadvantaged students lagging up to five years behind their peers.
• A Grattan Institute survey found that 21% of primary school teachers lack confidence in teaching maths, particularly in upper primary years.
• Decades of reliance on unproven, faddish teaching methods are identified as a key factor in the nation's underperformance in maths.
• Schools using explicit, systematic, and evidence-based teaching methods report significant improvements in student performance and teacher confidence.
• The Grattan Institute recommends a 10-year reform plan, including increased funding, master teacher roles, and early numeracy checks, to lift national numeracy proficiency to 90%.