In the October 1997 issue of the Australian Mathematical Society Gazette, James

declining enrolments in Australian Mathematics Faculties and suggests that the remedy may lie in part with better teaching and more relevant mathematics courses. While we agree that both of these suggestions have merit, it is worth noting that the student malaise with mathematics does not necessarily start at first year university level, but is already well established in the secondary schools. Also, the problem of declining secondary student interest in technical subjects is not limited to mathematics, but extends to science subjects in general and physical science subjects in particular