My 15-year-old has just completed his subject selection for year 11 and 12 starting 2019. The school has responded and told him he is not able to study maths and music (has to be one or the other). He attends a very large public high school. I have been told of the 22 students who applied for music he is the only one who also apply to study maths. Music is his passion and I will struggle to keep him in high school if he’s not studying music. He is happy to study maths and does quite well at it and I am concerned that future career opportunities will be extremely limited if he does not at least study a standard maths for year 11 and 12. We have discussed the opportunity to study music externally However this does not compete with six lessons a week at school (Nor could I afford). He has a very set plan for tertiary studies in music following HSC. But I’m also acutely aware that we often change your ideas in life and maths maybe linked to one of those future plans. It feels like our only option is to move him schools which would be extremely distressing For him (he has unfortunately been subjected to a number of upsetting family instances in the past 12 months – the least changes I can make him the better). I’m just wondering do I try to approach the department of education? do I just Allow him to study the music with the plan that he could Complete a bridging course if it was later needed.
SIde note - Am I the only one extremely annoyed that English is compulsory and maths isn’t!
Subject selection
Subject selection
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Education, Teenagers, Tips and Advice
16 Replies
I probably would contact the department. In Qld both English and some sort of Math is compulsory all the way. Is there another subject he can drop in exchange for music?
Thanks for your response. There are six “lines”. Music and maths are only offered on line 2. Every other subject is on multiple lines. The deputy tried to tell me “kids that do music generally don’t do maths”. Except my eldest currently doing his HSC studies both and 2 of his best friends do music and 4 unit maths!
We are in NSW.
That seems a bit silly. I would also have a look at distance ed. (Probably do math). My yr 11 daughter is doing 2 subjects she wanted by distance ed because numbers werent enough do justify having a class. I think the school has a responsibility to make whatever needs to be done to help kids fulfill their dreams. If they shut the door on it so to speak make it known it will be escalated.
Considering musicians statistically perform better in maths than non musician students I find that very odd. My whole music class in senior did advanced maths. Honestly you can't make him drop his passion. He can't do music at tertiary without having done it at school unless he's good enough to get into the con. But maths is required for a lot of other degrees... That said, it's easier to do in a bridging subject. Tough call. If he doesn't get into a music degree he may need to wait a year for another degree if he needs to complete maths and it's only a semester 1 intake.
I studied an extra subject in year 11 and 12. It can be done! The only reason maths and music should be incompatible is if they are in the same time slot.
Speak to the school counsellor about why they have said he can’t. Advocate for what he wants. Take it to the principal and make it clear that you will keep escalating the issue until they agree.
PS the other option is to study maths in an adult high school at the same time, or by distance education. You can do it, it just takes some creativity.
It sounds like a time tabling issue rather than he is simply not being allowed to do both subjects.
The simplest solution would probably be to pick which subject he would prefer to do face to face and then do the other by distance ed or correspondence.
You are right. The have 6 lines and they have decided to put all 8 maths classes on the same line as 1 music class. Every other subject has more than 1 class (and therefore on multiple lines). Maths is so crucial in life. List it with a subject that is repeated so people have a choice.
You are right. The have 6 lines and they have decided to put all 8 maths classes on the same line as 1 music class. Every other subject has more than 1 class (and therefore on multiple lines). Maths is so crucial in life. List it with a subject that is repeated so people have a choice.
I don't think contacting the department would be successful, because the school is offering both subjects but obviously in the same time slot. There would be many other students across the state that would be turned away from subjects as a result of timetable clashes also.
I had a similar situation in Victoria and this is how I managed my way around it:
I did 5 face to face subjects in year 11 (you don't NEED to do 6, you only need a minimum of 4 in Victoria), and I did my 6th subject via distance education which I completed in a spare at school which would have been when I had my 6th subject.
In year 12, I dropped a subject so only had 4 face to face subjects at school and then also did the 5th subject via distance education. In my spares, I worked on this subject.
Maths is a really important subject and if he changed his mind about his career path, a lot of courses call for basic maths as a completed subject.
English is to ensure they can speak it and study it :)
Maths should be compulsory. Are we old school in thinking it is a basic necessity then?
I would stay at same school and look at either math or music tutoring, follow career goals with school choice to keep him engaged.
Remember changing careers is easy enough there are lots of pathways available now. I probably wouldnt pressure maths as an extra subject, be reassured if he ever needs it in future it will probably be easier for him to do it then.
I’ve honestly used nothing from secondary mathematics. Primary, yes, secondary a big fat nope. And I’m an accountant.
That's odd. I'm an allied health practitioner working in the government and I use it in both my roles.
Sometimes you really dont realise youre using it, but you have a level of capability than those that havent studied it.
Neither should be compulsory! Give them choice I say!
If his passion is music, then go with music. Ask the school if he can study the maths via distance ed, if he is the one desperate to study it and it’s not just your desire ???? My daughter had to study one of her subjects via DE in year 11 & 12 (NSW) because they didn’t get enough kids to run it, plus they have scheduling conflicts of some subjects too. We had to apply for consideration for DE, the school only selected a set number of kids plus they had to be self motivated type kids too. Unless you’re at a huge school, you’ll always have this issue
Trust your kid. Let him choose his own career path. If he needs something enhanced Or updated to follow a particular path, he can study it later. There are many varied roads to many varied careers.
Go and see the school and ask about doing the maths component by distance ed. I had a clash in year 12. I wanted to history and legal studies. They clashed. We worked out I could do Australia history by distance ed and I could go to the schools history teacher if I needed help. I was given spare periods at school to complete it as well
As it was distance ed it works a lot like uni. You need to be self motivated. I needed to seek my teachers out for help, I needed to do all the research and assignments on my own.
I loves it though. I got to do the subjects I wanted and got a taste of uni life!!
Good luck.
So many people don't realise how much music and mathematics are linked together. It would be wonderful if he could study both.
Fight for it.
I just completed a degree in mathematics and many of my subjects mentioned the links with music.