The idea is to deepen expertise and lift numeracy outcomes, but it’s not without trade-offs.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) reported in June that 20 per cent of secondary schools face vacancies or rely on out-of-field teachers in mathematics.

While the data doesn’t cover primary settings, some experts argue these shortages make widespread deployment of primary maths specialists unrealistic, at least for now.

Still, the research base questioning the generalist model has been evolving for at least two decades, and shows both promise and complexity.

Initiatives like Victoria’s Primary Mathematics and Science Specialist program (launched 2010) and the NSW Mathematics Strategy (from 2017, updated since) have linked specialisation to improved teacher confidence and student outcomes, especially when specialists also lead professional learning.

Some evaluations do report gains in instructional quality and targeted student support when specialists are embedded across schools.

But others warn that pulling maths out of the generalist classroom could weaken the relational depth and cross-curricular integration that underpin strong primary teaching.

There’s also concern it may reinforce the myth that only ‘maths people’ can teach maths, heightening teacher anxiety and student disengagement.

A flexible approach at Haileybury

At Haileybury, the use of specialist maths teachers in Years 5 and 6 is evolving, not mandated, and emerging in response to teacher interest and expertise.

Head of Middle School Mathematics Andrew Musgrave says some teachers are now picking up multiple maths classes across a year level.

“It’s come from tapping into teachers’ strengths,” he says. “Some are passionate about maths, so they’ve taken on more of those classes.”

Musgrave sees clear benefits: deeper engagement, richer strategies, and more consistency across classrooms, plus generalist and specialist maths teachers in the middle school collaborate on planning.

Parents have responded positively, and teachers report more focused preparation.

Still, he notes trade-offs. “At Year 5 and 6, pastoral care is so important. You do lose some of that when students have different subject teachers.”

Recruiting for these roles also has its challenges.

“We haven’t advertised explicitly for Year 5/6 maths specialists,” Musgrave says. “It’s hard to find teachers willing and qualified to bridge the primary–secondary divide.”

Where do we get them from?

And that’s a key point for former primary teacher Cassandra Lowry, now a PhD student and associate lecturer at the University of Newcastle.

“Where are schools getting the funding to have an extra teacher just teach one subject?” she says. “Maths runs five hours a week; what does that teacher do the rest of the time?”

Even if budgets allowed, Lowry points to staffing constraints. “We can’t find enough high school maths teachers, so where are the primary ones coming from?”

She also questions the logic of starting in Year 5: “If it’s valid, why not from Foundation?”

From Secondary to Specialist

At Penleigh and Essendon Grammar in Melbourne, maths coordinator Jacqueline Benson has taken the reverse path, moving from secondary into a primary specialist role.

She teaches one Year 6 class and delivers weekly maths lessons across all other year levels. Classroom teachers observe and reflect on practice.

“It’s not team teaching, but it works,” she says. “We have rich conversations around teaching and learning.”

Transitioning from VCE to Prep wasn’t seamless. “Knowing your content doesn’t make you good at teaching young learners,” she says. “It’s not just the knowledge; it’s the pedagogy.”

Benson has leaned on professional learning and early numeracy research, but cautions against parachuting secondary teachers into primary classrooms.

“If we want specialists in upper primary, then we should see, value, and prioritise specialist mathematics teachers, or at least give teachers the opportunity to access additional early years and primary mathematics qualifications.”

Calls for system change

Recent reports have seen renewed national focus on primary maths. The Grattan Institute’s The Maths Guarantee calls for a dedicated block of maths time each day, consistent curriculum materials, and stronger teacher training - particularly in explicit instruction.

A companion guide offers principals practical steps to embed these changes across their schools.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Independent Studies’ Early Numbers, Big Ideas report argues for urgent investment in early numeracy.

It recommends universal screening in the early years and targeted support for students at risk of falling behind, warning that gaps in number sense begin well before Year 3.

Together, these reports add urgency to a growing national conversation: if Australia wants to raise maths achievement, it may need to rethink who teaches it, and how.

Circling back to maths teachers themselves, here’s what the CEO of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT), Allan Dougan, has to add to the discourse.

“We’ve seen specialist models work well in certain contexts, both here in Australia and internationally. But we’ve also seen schools without a formal specialist structure achieve excellent outcomes through whole-school commitment, shared planning, and targeted professional learning,” he says.

“Context matters. What works in one school or system may not suit another, and a narrow, one-size-fits-all approach won’t get us where we need to go.

“What we do know is that teaching mathematics is complex and requires both strong subject knowledge and deep pedagogical content knowledge. It’s not just about knowing the maths, but about knowing how to teach it; how to break down concepts, anticipate and respond to misconceptions, and build strong skills and conceptual understanding over time.”

AAMT’s recent position paper, Pedagogy in Mathematics, advocates for a toolbox approach.

So rather than focus on prescribing a single model, it’s keen for every teacher to have access to high-quality, ongoing professional learning, time for collaboration, and support to grow both their content and pedagogical expertise, Dougan says.

“Our primary teachers are doing an extraordinary job, often under significant pressure. We need to invest in the structures that enable all teachers to feel confident and capable in teaching mathematics.

“That’s how we build a system where all students, in every setting, get the rich, rigorous, and inclusive maths education they deserve.”