Sydney has won the hosting rights to the largest international conference for mathematics education with the backing of the Federal and NSW Governments, as well as the maths and scientific community.
More than 2,800 mathematics educators, mathematicians, researchers, teachers and resource producers are expected to attend the eight day International Congress on Mathematical Education in 2024.
Federal Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the conference would help drive Australia's innovation and excellence in maths teaching, as well as cement Sydney's reputation as a leading conference destination.
"Our Government's ongoing investment and focus on STEM education is designed to ensure all students have access to the building blocks of learning that maths and science gives them," Mr Tehan said.
"This conference will help sharpen our focus on delivering STEM education while also showcasing Sydney as a world-leading destination." NSW Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the conference was a huge win for Sydney, and added that NSW is in strong support of delivering a quality STEM education to students.
"NSW is the largest provider of public education in Australia, and we prioritise the delivery of STEM education for students, because we know how it enhances the quality of their learning," Ms Mitchell said.
"STEM learning allows teachers to provide students with authentic, real world contexts where they can apply their knowledge and skills. This sits at the core of the NSW Government's new maths strategy that we announced earlier this year."
Australia's Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel AO said the win was very timely for Australia. "At all levels of government, it is well understood that a workforce skilled in mathematics is critical to our future. Hosting events such as this will help to elevate the ambition of students and educators," Dr Finkel said.
The bid was led by the Consortium for Mathematics Education (CoME), comprising eight of Australia's major mathematics societies.
In securing this prestigious meeting, CoMe had the full support of strategic bidding organisation, BESydney, and the backing of the NSW Government and Tourism Australia.
CEO of BESydney Lyn Lewis-Smith said international meetings such as these support national agendas and grow Australia's position in global conversations.
"ICME 15 provides a valuable and timely opportunity to discuss Australia's efforts in improving and delivering quality STEM education for future generations and for Australian educators, researchers and policy makers to learn from the experiences of other countries," Ms Lewis-Smith said.
