Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
Mathematics Alliance
atsimanational.ning.com
The Aboriginal & Torres Islander Mathematics Alliance (ATSIMA) welcomes
the opportunity to ‘have a say’ about The Forrest Review and to provide feedback and
recommendations. The purpose of our submission is to highlight synergies between the ideas
articulated in the review and the work ATSIMA is currently developing.
The imperative: ATSIMA’s vision: Like the Review, ATSIMA is deeply concerned that the
mathematics outcomes in Australia’s schools for Indigenous students’ continue to remain alarmingly
behind those of their non-Indigenous counterparts. When students miss out on learning basic maths
and numeracy in the early years of schooling, maths remains an impenetrable gatekeeper for future
educational and career opportunities. In other words, maths is the gate opener and while it remains
closed, parity will never be achieved. Hence our vision is:
“All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaners will be successful at mathematics”
From this vision, ATSIMA will build a national agenda that focuses on all learners at all levels of
education, that is, from early years to University. The vision also places the learner at the centre
thereby focusing our attention on the issues that affect the learner and their success at learning
mathematics. One of these issues is the perception of mathematics.
Perceptions of mathematics: In general, mathematics is often perceived as a very difficult subject
that is only mastered by a few “very smart” people who have this special innate ability to
comprehend the incomprehensible: it is an elite pursuit. This supports the view that maths is out of
reach for the rest of us, subsequently having many social and cultural implications. We firmly agree
with The Review that ‘illiteracy and innumeracy are disabilities in our society’ and numeracy skills is
‘one of the major impediments to placing first Australians in jobs’. To overcome these perceptions,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people need to be better connected with mathematics and
mathematics education i.e. to better understand what mathematics is, how it is used and how it can
be taught in the Community context.
Cultural Authority: We strongly support the notion of cultural authority and its central place in the
Forrest Report Strategy. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people need to endorse and be part of
strategies to create parity and their future place in Australian society. Having this focus will also
move away from a disarrayed smorgasbord of isolated, ad hoc projects aimed at improving maths
outcomes of Indigenous students. Rather, a coordinated nationally driven response that
involves/supports Indigenous people is required. We base this on the success of the four year
‘Closing the Gap’ project Make it count: Numeracy, mathematics and Indigenous learners managed by
the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc (AAMT).
We want Indigenous students to be empowered by maths and gates opened to them so they are
better positioned to make a difference to their communities, organisations and systems in which they
work, and their worlds. ATSIMA is creating an Alliance of people from different sectors who together
want to make a difference.
About ATSIMA: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Alliance is a newly formed, growing
collaboration between education, business and community sectors to make a difference to the
education outcomes for Indigenous learners in mathematics. Our endeavours to date have been
strongly supported by the Business Council of Australia. The Alliance grew out of the Make it count
project and a Blueprint released by the AAMT in 2013. We are working towards a new story of what
maths is, and how it can be taught.
ATSIMA will develop a national, strategic approach and is currently progressing on two fronts: via
the Creating Connections & Growing Understanding conference designed to inform, catalyse and
establish a ‘footprint’ for ATSIMA; and through our draft Prospectus, which outlines a Demonstration
Project focussed on Indigenous High Achievers in the senior years of schooling.
ATSIMA is ably led by Dr Chris Matthews who is a Minjerribah traditional owner in the
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Quandamooka Nation (Moreton Bay, Queensland). His PhD is in Applied Mathematics from
Griffith University. Chris was the Project Patron and a critical friend of the Make it count project.
ATSIMA supports/recommends: The following recommendations relate mostly to The Review’s
Recommendation 3: Improving educational outcomes. We recommend that:
1. ‘Enforceable plans’ in schools to reach parity must include recognised, ongoing professional
learning for all educators that place maths education and quality teaching of mathematics as a
priority
2. A network of ‘high performing teachers’ in maths education for Indigenous students is created
and remunerated at higher level than other teachers
3. A network of powerful and successful school leaders whose schools have achieved parity in
maths outcomes is formed and mentors other school communities. The network would also
produce resources and support programs for leaders to target improved maths outcomes
4. That a national strategy is put in place to catalyse and coordinate any work done in this area and
connect projects to continually develop maths practices and approaches, and learning programs.
These are made available to all schools with ongoing professional learning to implement these
effectively through evidence based practice. Any such projects must have ‘ a clearly measurable
performance path agreed to at the beginning of the project’
5. That the juxtaposition of Community, education and business is investigated and supported as a
way forward to building capacity.
How ATSIMA’s plans can support The Review’s recommendations: ATSIMA’s strategic plans
include:
1. Establishing, further developing or tapping into networks, learning communities and other
projects that are looking for support or partners aimed at improving mathematics outcomes for
Indigenous students
2. Designing resources in mathematics and numeracy for schools, TAFE and higher education that
will improve outcomes including Year 12 attainment, improving transition to vocational and
higher education and other career pathways
3. Increasing the number of Aboriginal teachers of mathematics
4. Developing and delivering professional learning programs and strategies for educators working
with Indigenous students including leaders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators,
teachers
5. Designing a research program with protocols that returns knowledge to Communities in useable
and viable ways
6. Continuing to connect with business and industry to improve employment capabilities of
Indigenous students, RAPS, PL and cultural competency for employees
7. Conducting a regular conference with the first one occurring in November 2014 that brings
together Communities, education systems, businesses, organisations and philanthropy.
Conclusion: There is a strong, tangible desire by communities, educators and employers to make a
difference. This is strongly reflected in The Review and is the reason ATSIMA was formed. From
community we hear, ‘Aboriginal people have lost so much. It’s time we moved to a new covenant’ (p.
17, Yunupingu in the Weekend Australian, 2014). From educators we know that ‘Many Indigenous
students are not reaching their potential in mathematics at schools and subsequently in life beyond
school. This must be changed’ (AAMT 2013). From business we hear that ‘Seismic, not incremental,
change is required and the time for action is now. These solutions are not expensive and parity is
completely achievable with the strength of will from each of us (p. 1, Forrest 2014).
We believe that the timing is ripe to explore the nexus of school, home, community, and business in
the context of Indigenous achievement, community development, and business development and to
investigate what the possibilities might be for the relationships between them. A partnership of these
three will push for social and cultural justice so mathematics can be used for “the purposes of
empowerment at both the individual and community levels”.
This outlook is new to focusing on Indigenous disadvantage and holds much promise. We invite you
to talk with us.
Paper prepared by Caty Morris caty.morris@sa.gov.au / 0432 277 654 (Project Manager Make it
count 2009-2013) and Dr Chris Matthews c.matthews@griffith.edu.au / 0401 951 626.
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