The PISA 2022 assessments reveal that 72.9% of Argentine students fail to achieve basic levels in mathematical competencies, placing the country in 66th place out of 81 assessed nations. Daniela Borlenghi, co-founder and co-CEO of the mentioned platform, notes that most candidates for mathematics positions are experienced teachers, in contrast to other subjects where they tend to be young recent graduates. Borlenghi emphasizes that the poor implementation of new teaching methodologies is one of the possible causes of this crisis in mathematics education.
A report presented on International Mathematics Day highlights the concerning shortage of mathematics teachers in Argentina. While one in four teaching searches is for mathematics professors, the number of available candidates barely represents a third compared to other disciplines. Additionally, it highlights the difficulty teachers have in connecting mathematical knowledge with its application in daily life.
The pandemic has had a significant impact on the learning of secondary school students, as they have gone through the crucial years for mathematics education without full in-person schooling. Borlenghi underscores that mathematics not only provides specific content but also develops fundamental skills in logical reasoning and problem-solving. It is essential to take concrete measures to address this critical gap in the Argentine educational system.
Data analyzed from the last six months reveal that 24.76% of teaching searches correspond to mathematics professionals, an area with a growing need for vacancy coverage. Despite the high demand for these profiles, there are almost three times fewer applicants to teach mathematics compared to other subjects. Registered mathematics teachers on the portal have an average age of 34, significantly older than the general average of 28 years in other curricular areas.
Moreover, only 19.41% of mathematics teachers keep their profiles visible and open for direct searches by institutions, below the 24.18% in other specialties. These figures coincide with statistics from the National Ministry of Education showing a decline in the choice of teaching careers in exact sciences, including mathematics.
