The Council is an "umbrella" organisation for four national professional societies in the mathematical sciences, and with observer and associated members providing valuable participation and comment. The membership of AMSC through its society members in 1999 was approximately 2000 individuals.

Members:

Helen MacGillivray (President)

Noel Barton (Vice-president (immediate past president) and FASTS Board member)

Marj Horne (Secretary)

Nick Garnham (Treasurer)

Neil Diamond (representing Statistical Society of Australia Inc)

Jim Hill (representing the Australian Mathematical Society as the ANZIAM delegate)

Paul Lochert (representing Australian Society for Operations Research)

Judy Mousley (representing Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia)

Des Nicholls (representing Statistical Society of Australia Inc)

Ian Sloan (representing the Australian Mathematical Society)

Observers:

Desmond Fearnley-Sander (ASICMI)

Toss Gascoigne (FASTS)

Derek Robinson (National Committee for Mathematics)

Peter Taylor (Australian Mathematics Trust)

New and continuing matters provided particular focus in 1999.

Members continued to be involved in providing input and comment on the national numeracy benchmarks whose potential side effects continue to cause concern. Marj Horne and Judy Mousley participated in a national meeting in March to consider the implementation of the years 3 and 5 benchmarks, and the draft year 7 benchmarks. The draft and final versions of the benchmarks continue to be sent by the Curriculum Corporation to the AMSC president, but there is little reporting on the process, the players and the outcomes of meetings to any of the participants. The March meeting continued to push for public emphasis on the minimalist purpose of the benchmarks, including the stated intention that they are not to drive curricula in any way. However it is clear that the work to ensure that the mathematical sciences community through the AMSC, is involved in such processes, has been successful. A new concern of the March meeting was the inadequacy and inappropriateness of many of the proposed test items. An additional matter of concern that has emerged during 1999 is the media emphasis on literacy compared with numeracy. As there is evidence starting to emerge from different states that the benchmarks are being used contrary to their original stated minimalist and remedial purposes, it is clear that it is important that the AMSC continue to provide input and public comment on them. This public comment should include comments to the federal minister and should be extended to comments to the state ministers for education.

Paul Lochert in 1998 organised and collated survey data from university mathematics departments on student, staffing and budget trends in recent years. This information is regarded as belonging to the recently formed grouping of heads of mathematics departments, but has provided invaluable resource information for AMSC discussion and for public comment by members of the mathematical community. The university situation is indicative of a decrease in the national capability to adequately resource mathematical training, in both mainstream and "service" areas, particularly with the increasing pressure of a wider range of mathematical preparedness. AMSC members provided feedback on the form of the survey.

AMSC members were again prominent in participation in National Science Week in May. In particular the mathematics stand at the Great Australian Science Show in Melbourne was a significant success. It was organised by Phillip Swedosh and supported by Aust MS with contributions from SSAI and ASOR. A national review of the Science and Technology Awareness Program was carried out on a state by state basis. AMSC was not directly consulted but individual members provided feedback through the state review mechanisms. The state and individual submissions demonstrated a wide variety of views from different participants such as the media compared with teacher and university comments. An overall report does not seem to have been given, but applications for STAP grants for 2000 were called for during October, 1999. These grants are available only in association with National Science Week in 2000. The information is that National Science Week is proceeding in 2000, with the situation beyond 2000 to be decided.

Jane Watson was awarded a Clunies Ross medal. Only 45 of these medals have ever been awarded. Jane is the third woman, the first involved in mathematics and the first educator. Gilah Leder and Cheryl Praeger have been included in a book on Women in Mathematics.

The Green Paper on university research and the Australian Research Council was the subject of considerable discussion and feedback from FASTS. The implications for mathematics are difficult to assess, including both positive aspects such as grouping with the information sciences, and negative aspects such as the absence of any mention of mathematical education.

The national situation with mathematics teaching continues to cause concern, with the supply of suitably qualified mathematics teachers reaching crisis level in a number of states, with the other states looking to follow. As with the benchmarks, AMSC should seek to play a role in this matter at both federal and state level. The requirements for teaching mathematics have been collected from each state, and demonstrate the vulnerability of the systems in times of shortages of mathematics teachers.

AMSC members provided input and feedback on the revised FASTS policy to be launched on November 24^th. Considerable effort has been ongoing over recent years to ensure that mathematics is emphasized alongside science in FASTS policy.

A significant focus for FASTS in the second half of 1999 has been preparation for Science meets Parliament Day on 23^rd November. On this day 170 scientists and mathematicians and technologists from member societies of FASTS are to meet with 140 MP’s. The scientists have also been encouraged to write a page of relevant information to leave with the MP’s.

During 1999, AustMS held their national conference jointly with the American Mathematical Society in Melbourne, ASOR held a national conference on the Gold Coast, and MERGA held a national conference in Adelaide. The Mathematics in Industry Study Group continues to be a major success with industry, but there are indications that the mathematical sciences community might need to emphasize that industry provide more public acknowledgement of the continuing value of mathematics. The International Year of Mathematics in 2000 will commence with a major meeting at the University of Melbourne in January.

The new Chief Scientist is currently conducting a science capability review with, as frequently occurs, a short timeline. As with the Green Paper, the emphasis is on links with business and industry. The notice of the review did not come directly to AMSC, but a submission from AMSC is in preparation.

AMSC discussions throughout 1999 have indicated that the Council should seek incorporation to facilitate and support future activities. The AMSC website is now established thanks to Neil Diamond.

Looking to the future, it is appropriate in the international Year of Mathematics in 2000, that the AMSC should look beyond the original motivation for its establishment, and aim to establish more clearly its role and identity as an "umbrella" for all of the mathematical sciences across all nodes of mathematical activity in the wider society. There are many indicators across education, business, industry and government, that the future for the mathematical sciences will depend on greater interaction between the various areas of the mathematical sciences, with previous boundaries becoming less and less evident. Faster and closer interaction with all the interests of its member societies will better enable AMSC to better represent the whole of mathematical sciences and the mathematical community. AMSC needs on its part to continue and diversify its efforts to gain public standing and acknowledgement as the "umbrella" for the mathematical sciences, in order to ensure that the diversity of mathematics is both recognised and represented across the whole spectrum of its roles.