Mathematical skills and reasoning and their applications are considered as forming one of the basic and essential areas of knowledge and experience that should be available to all Australian children. This collection of essays explaining problem solving in mathematics as an organizing theme for current and future curriculum development is a means of informing people of the centrality of the theme and of beginning the essential task of teacher development. Essays consider real problem solving and a problem-oriented curriculum approach; how habituated behaviors and memory contribute to the development of heuristic strategies; using developmental efforts to emphasize problem solving; criteria for real-life problems; important variables in increasing school emphasis on mathematical modeling; and selecting content based on adult needs and immediate interests. Finally, a position paper on problem solving is given. (MNS)