2006:9 R

Evaluation of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in statistics and demography at higher education institutions in Sweden

The image offered by statistics is that it is a subject that frequently exists in an anonymous setting with no stable basis of its own for disciplinary development. It often belongs to a large department and representation of the subject in decision-making bodies is often poor or non-existent. The subject is often organised within the confines of a faculty of social sciences or economics. It usually serves as an ancillary subject in other degree programmes.

The reduced funding that results from the classification of statistics as a social science subject has led to one major drawback. The requisite laboratory work in small teaching groups, which is expensive, has had to be abandoned to some extent and this has caused problems for students. One outcome is that the subject is often perceived as difficult by students and very few proceed to more advanced courses in statistics.

The proportion of teachers carrying out research is too restricted. Research needs to be developed generally. Most higher education institutions do not succeed in attracting enough external research funding. There would be greater possibilities if researchers could seek alternatives to the traditional social science and economics areas. It should be possible to increase the number of applications in the fields of the natural sciences, technology and medicine.

The very poor recruitment to more advanced studies is a major problem. Advanced study of the subject is not widely considered because potential applicants to higher education know so little about it. Statistics should be given a more prominent place in teaching in the upper-secondary school and the subject must be seen as an alternative to the other courses offered in higher education.

Evidence that the subject has a future can be found in the demand for statisticians in society at large. This evaluation also shows that there are good examples of the adoption of profiles and various forms of cooperation. This should however be increased considerably. The subject must acquire a more definite standing and identity in the contexts in which it operates.