The decline in mathematical knowledge among young people is as worrying as the impossibility of finding good mathematics teachers for the following generations.
"We urgently need to guarantee a good mathematics education at all educational stages because they will be essential for the citizens of the future," the president of the Catalan Mathematical Society, Montse Alsina, shows her concern about the drop in student grades (see the latest basic skills in Catalonia, symptomatic of what is happening in the rest of Spain).
"The lack of teachers occurs in all the autonomous communities," said the general director of the Ministry of Education and FP, Mónica Dominguez, during a round table held recently, also concerned about the lack of replacement of the great retirement of teachers and of secondary school teachers that will occur in the coming years.
This, which is not an exclusive problem in our country, is generating numerous debates: there are no mathematicians who want to dedicate themselves to teaching. Graduates are immediately engulfed by technology companies that offer better conditions and salaries compared to high school teachers, a profession that has been losing appeal. Who wants to be a teacher? And a high school math teacher?
The heads of the main Spanish and Catalan mathematics associations and societies consider that the idea that teaching mathematics "is hell" must be counteracted, conveying that the profession contributes a lot to society, educates future citizens, and that working conditions, stable autonomy, wealth of projects, contacts with other teachers and professions, which are not provided by technology. And then there is the vitality of the kids "Not everything is money," said Alfonso Gordaliza, president of the Spanish Committee for Mathematics in a recent round table of specialists.
Spain is paying for the decline in university students specializing in this discipline. It has gone from having 18,000 students in the class of 1996-1997 to 6,800 in the class of 2007-2008. A long period of loss. Now the figure is recovering, with 15,000 students, but that is thanks, in part, to private universities, which attract profiles of students with technological vocations, according to Gordaliza explained. More math students are needed. But no more university places are opened... due to a lack of university professors.
Entering the career is difficult, with very high cut-off marks (13,254 at the UPC) and they aspire to work in technology or research. Unemployment is testimonial (4%). But of those who start, 44% are lost because they drop out of the race. During the degree, the teaching output is little palpable. Didactics is barely studied and internships cannot be carried out in institutes either.
And the degree title itself does not allow you to work, as it does in companies. You have to train in the secondary school master's degree that requires one more year.
The result is that secondary mathematics teachers come from other careers: only 26% of access to the oppositions for mathematics teacher comes from mathematics faculties. The majority, 40%, comes from engineering. The rest, physics, ADE, architecture...
does it matter? "It is desirable that they be mathematicians", considered in the same meeting, Julio Rodríguez, president of the Spanish Society of Mathematics Teachers because the vision that one has of mathematics is more important than the knowledge acquired. “Maths that are given in engineering have a specific instrumental objective, those of companies, another, and that makes the student's perspective on the subject different from that of a mathematician”.
Architects can have the specialty of technical drawing in the secondary master's degree, mandatory to practice, but they can end up giving mathematics. “It is not so much for the content itself as for the way of seeing them and that is essential later to teach them”, indicates Montse Alsina.
The enormous demand to enter the secondary school master's degree forces applicants to discriminate based on their career grade, which rules out some mathematics graduates, a demanding career that gives few high grades, who would like to teach. As of this year in Catalonia they do have priority entry. This measure is complemented by a new master's degree for teachers specialized in mathematics, promoted by 4 universities, which gives places to 120 students.
Mathematical societies also request accompaniment and adequate training for new teachers. “What do we understand by a good mathematics teacher? Well, you have to train them according to the itinerary from which they come”, indicates Rodríguez.
In the opinion of the Catalan Mathematical Society, there is also a lack of continuous training for teachers and professors, not in competences or evaluations, but in mathematical content and in the way to interest the student. Mathematical associations and societies are focused on it.
Secondary school teachers complain about the lack of basic knowledge that primary school children come with, which is confirmed by external evaluations. Mathematical societies have raised a cry in the sky when they see that their subject is reduced in teaching studies, in the Project Order of the Ministry of Universities on the study plans for the degree of Infant and Primary education. The proposal proposes reducing compulsory training to a subject of 6 credits (60 hours) out of a total of 240 credits. They have all protested. The modification proposal came from the Conference of Deans of Education, and there was no consensus. Joan Subirats' ministry announced that it would withdraw it if there was no consensus.
