Scotch College

Our Maths Dept leads the way

"Why do we have to study maths?" It's a plaintive cry that has been repeated by young students since the time of ancient Greece - and before - and can be heard rising to the heavens across the suburbs of Melbourne on any given week night!

The answer in the 'Guide to VCE 2000' is powerful, logical, concise and unambiguous, just like mathematics: "Mathematics is the study of function and pattern in number, logic, space and structure. It provides both a framework for thinking and a means of symbolic communication that is powerful, logical, concise and unambiguous and a means by which people can understand and manage their environment."

Perhaps a more friendly definition comes from Scotch's own curriculum outline for Year 9 mathematics: "Mathematics touches on many and varied aspects of our lives. It has applications in many activities and provides a universal way of solving problems in areas such as science and engineering, business and finance, technology, arts and crafts and many everyday activities. Competence in mathematics may enhance our understanding of the world and the quality of (our) participation in society. It is therefore a very important area of study."

Competence needed

If it sounds as though no-one can do without some competence in the subject, that message has certainly got through at Scotch - around 95% of the 230 plus boys in Year 12 are taking maths as part of their VCE courses. More than 20 full time equivalent teachers, among the total of about 120 in the senior school, teach maths. They are led by Dr Michael Evans and follow a philosophy of "great care for the normal students, greater care for those who struggle, and something extra for the higher achievers", according to Mr Brian Woolacott, Deputy Head of Mathematics.

In fact, as Michael Evans points out, Scotch has a proud tradition in mathematics. Its past students include Sir Thomas Cherry ('14) and E R Love ('29). Today, several ex-students hold chairs in mathematics or statistics at universities around the country.

Contemporary students are living up to the tradition. Scotch boys have taken part in six of the past ten International Mathematics Olympiads, with the best ever result achieved this year by Geoffrey Chu, who received a Gold Medal. Last year at the Olympiad in Taipei, both Geoffrey and Hiroshi Miyazaki received silver Medals, while in 1997 Daniel Matthews was awarded a silver medal.

These results are the tip of an iceberg of effort designed to assist boys at all levels. "We aim to involve boys at their own level," says Brian Woolacott, "which, in an open entry school like Scotch, runs right across the spectrum of capabilities."

Year 7 Aptitude Test

Early in Year 7, each student takes an aptitude test. If they show knowledge gaps they will receive extra tuition in small classes run by the Education Support unit, a process that can continue if necessary until Year 10. At that time, students who still find maths a challenge will undertake Foundation Mathematics in semester 2, a course that will allow them to master the basic concepts necessary for General Mathematics in Year 11 and Further Mathematics in Year 12.

On the other hand, if boys show a strong talent for maths they can become involved in a Maths Challenge programme from as early as Year 5. Sponsored by the Australian Mathematics Trust, participation is voluntary at first (currently about 30 students are taking part at Year 7 level) and by Year 10 the top three classes do maths challenge as part of their classwork. Under a Mentor Programme from Year 8, two former International Mathematics Olympiad members (one of them is Daniel Matthews, the former Scotch student) work with a select group of capable students twice a week to provide them with enrichment at Olympics standard.

In the earlier years the syllabus is developed in a 'spiral plan' in which important ideas recur: having been covered once, some topics are revised and then developed further later in each year. The assumptions underlying this method are that mathematical understanding occurs at various levels within any class, permanent learning occurs more readily with frequent application, and that some topics cannot be introduced until students reach Piaget's 'stage of formal operations'.

The Measure of Success

How is the success of the mathematics department measured? There are two basic starting points: the popularity of Mathematics subjects right up through the school, which is unquestioned, and results, both at VCE and in other spheres. In VCE results, Scotch is regularly among the top two or three schools in Victoria in maths. At this year's Hewlett Packard University of Melbourne School Mathematics Competition, boys from Scotch won 28 prizes, including Geoffrey Chu's equal first in the senior division, third prize for Tharatorn Supasiti in the intermediate division and a second for James Hillis in the junior division. These results demonstrate the talent of the students and the quality of their teachers, but more importantly they symbolise the commitment of the Mathematics Department to helping boys succeed, whatever their aptitude.