AAMT commissioned the writing of a set of papers to provide some background and contextual information in seven key areas of school numeracy education for the Commonwealth Government report Numeracy, A Priority for All: Challenges for Australian Schools.
In May 2000 the Commonwealth Government published a school numeracy paper entitled Numeracy, A Priority for All: Challenges for Australian Schools. In it, the Commonwealth set out the government's perspectives, policies and initiatives in relation to school numeracy education in the context of the National Literacy and Numeracy Plan agreed by Commonwealth, State and Territory Education Ministers.
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. was contracted by the Commonwealth to contribute to aspects of the work of developing the numeracy paper, particularly through collection and coordination of information. As part of this, the AAMT commissioned the writing of a set of papers to provide some background and contextual information in seven key areas of school numeracy education. The contextual papers set out to provide a detailed exploration of particular areas in school numeracy education, including:
- information on relevant international and Australian research findings, data, thinking and directions;
- information and findings from relevant work in other areas, including in literacy and general teaching methods;
- information on and understandings of current programs and policies in Australia;
- identification and discussion of relevant issues.
Some of the material in the contextual papers was used, in conjunction with other sources, to support the development of Numeracy, A Priority for All: Challenges for Australian Schools. The papers are made available below to provide contextual information to assist educators with an interest in the numeracy achievements of school students.
