Dr Pender is one of several prominent mathematicians who have signed a letter demanding the board withdraw the draft syllabuses. Another signatory is the principal of SCEGGS Darlinghurst,Jenny Allum.
"The drafts are appalling,"Ms Allum said."They should be scrapped and we should start again,"she said,adding that problems began when the board was directed to use the national curriculum as the basis for the new syllabus.
"If you design a horse by committee you get a camel:there is a bit here and there,so every state feels there is a bit of them in it. You end up with a dog's breakfast."
She slammed a month-long consultation period that had been given to teachers."Work is being done in a very quick time frame;that is no recipe for good curriculum design,"she said.