Some tempting phrases considered for the title of this article included “…: the good the bad and the beautiful” or “…..: the increasing contrasts of statistical richness and statistical poverty”. On reflection the diversity and contrasts in statistics education indicated by such phrases are not surprising given the roles played by the statistical sciences across so many areas and ages interwoven with social industrial scientific business and government concerns. Features ofthe past decade include the excellent work of individuals in various areas at school tertiary and continuing education levels in thoughtful response to needs of students and client groups against a larger backdrop of increasing general awareness of the importance of statistical literacy contrasted with a general community lack of expertise and understanding of how to achieve it. The effects of the strange juxtaposition in Australia in the last decade of increasing appreciation within business and industry ofthe valueof quantitative training versus an anti-quantitative movement arising from ignorance or a taking-for-granted whetherconsciousor unconscious are in need of community attention and awareness. Much ofthe ignorance lies in absenceof understanding of the strong generic attributes of quantitative learning and how these are attained
