For too many Australian children, maths remains a daily struggle – one that leaves them frustrated, anxious, and disengaged before they’ve even had a chance to grasp the basics. And while funding is often the first port of call in policy conversations, the real issue runs deeper.
In April 2025, a landmark report revealed that underprepared primary school teachers, ineffective teaching methods, and deepening inequities are leaving too many students without the strong foundations they need to succeed in school and life.
Experts point out that when teachers and parents reinforce the message that maths ability is not fixed but can grow with effort, students are more likely to persevere and achieve. This is an especially important message for those educating children with learning disabilities.
Esther White, CEO of Maths Australia, works directly with schools to implement structured, research-based maths instruction – particularly with students who are disengaged, falling behind, or struggling with Dyscalculia (a learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand number-based information and math).
Below, The Educator speaks to White about the true scale and impact of dyscalculia, what schools really need beyond funding to improve numeracy, why pedagogical training is just as critical as curriculum content, and how explicit instruction – when done right – can transform both classrooms and student outcomes.
TE: How common is Dyscalculia among young Australians, and what does the research say about how teachers should address it in the classroom?
Dyscalculia is believed to affect an estimated 3–6% of students in Australia. Yet, with incomplete research findings as to its cause, it is critical that we do not diagnose a student based on instructional casualty, or on teaching practice that fails to teach the way students learn. Addressing dyscalculia isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing things differently, with a clear understanding of developmental pedagogy, patience, and a commitment to instruction that incorporates a multisensory approach in accordance with cognitive science. Teachers play a critical role in establishing strong numeracy foundations and in assessing progress for the early identification (and intervention) of at-risk students, and should be equipped as such.
We’ve seen at Maths Australia that the most effective support that a classroom teacher can provide includes structured, cumulative and explicit instruction, the use of concrete materials (like our colour-consistent integer base ten blocks that reduce cognitive load), and consistent and congruent practice based on an ‘I-do, we-do, you-do’ instructional strategy to build mastery. The solution is simpler than mainstream schooling has thought.
TE: What do schools need beyond education funding to make lasting change in students’ numeracy outcomes?
Improving numeracy outcomes takes more than extra funding—it takes a clear, school-wide approach to how maths is taught.
To transform numeracy outcomes, the commitment of a schools leadership team to invest in teacher professional learning and ongoing structured coaching that equips teachers to incorporate an explicit Concrete–Representational–Abstract (CRA) approach is critical.
Teachers need ease of access to a truly sequential and multisensory approach that brings meaning to the abstract, rather than merely teaching to the abstract in a more structured way. They need to be provided with the resources (such as student worksheets, flashcards, powerpoints) that integrate this evidence-based approach so that they can spend their time on teaching rather than on developing resources.
Lasting change requires a whole-school ‘response to intervention’ approach where tier one, tier two and tier three instruction all align. This ensures efficiency of the limited student instruction available within an overcrowded timetable, minimises overload and eliminates the anxiety caused by different approaches to instruction.
Prioritising the integration of explicit multisensory teaching tools, sequential instruction, fluency, feedback, and protected numeracy instructional time is key. How to implement this through effective professional learning ensures that these improvements are embedded.
TE: Drawing from your experience, why does training in how to teach matter as much as what to teach?
With the introduction of our professional learning programs in 2015, I’ve seen that knowing how to teach is just as important as knowing what to teach. A strong curriculum fails without clear, structured instruction and an understanding of why – and how – to teach it. Teachers need to be instructed in a different approach beyond what we see has not worked. They themselves need an understanding of not only the content, but also of the science of learning and cognition that informs excellence in teaching practice. Their own fluency and confidence in maths is critical to be able to draw upon and to address the natural differentiation that happens within a classroom with so many students. Maths is a language; a communication form that has its own unique symbols, rules and vocabulary. Such pedagogical training that is based on teachers understanding maths (rather than on the mere teaching of algorithms or rote memorisation of facts) ensures lessons are accessible, adapted and inclusive. If we want every student to succeed, we must equip teachers with more than content—we must give them BOTH the understanding AND the tools to teach it effectively. That’s the bridge to lasting impact.
TE: What does it look like when schools implement explicit instruction with fidelity – and what are the results they’re seeing?
When schools implement explicit instruction with fidelity, we see outstanding transformations in both teacher and student engagement and learning. Lessons that are clearly sequenced, broken into manageable steps, and delivered with consistent modelling using an “I do – We do – You do” instructional strategy become embedded knowledge for the student to draw upon in everyday life. Instructional congruency between the concrete materials, the representational drawing and the abstract symbols and words reduce cognitive load significantly and enable learning with ease. Teachers guide students through supported practice, offering immediate feedback before gradually releasing responsibility. This structure builds mastery and confidence, and makes the most of the limited and precious time that we have for numeracy instruction in school time. We’ve seen countless classrooms where maths, which was once avoided, has now become the favourite subject of each day. Teachers and students of all year levels re-engage in maths and reverse the anxiety and despondency that has previously been the norm. The ripple effect is seen and felt in all subjects as a result.