More Evidence of Drop in Physics Enrollment in Australia

The situation in Australia now looks to be grim. The drop in the number of students studying physics and mathematics is reconfirmed in the report from South Australia.

The number of students completing key Year 12 courses - including physics and maths - is dramatically declining, according to latest figures from the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia.

In physics alone, completions last year sank below 2000 - 600 fewer than a decade ago - during a period when the number of students completing their high school certificate increased from 9000 to 12,000.

Interestingly enough, the report appears to come up with the source of the drop in enrollment in physics.

University of Adelaide senior physics lecturer Dr Rodney Crewther blamed the decline on low numbers of qualified science teachers.

That is a universal concern. Certainly many students are influenced greatly of what they will study later on based on how well the subject is introduced to them in high/secondary schools. Qualified and enthusiastic physics teachers are such a valuable commodity.

Zz.