At UCMAS competition, stakeholders urged to embrace novel concept

Stakeholders in the sector have been urged to incorporate Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS) into their academic programmes to ensure the realisation of a generation of geniuses for the nation.

Proprietors and head of participating schools who spoke during the maiden edition of UCMAS National Competition in Lagos, said UCMAS, a revolutionary programme is recognised and practiced in over 70 countries worldwide. They said it was first introduced in Nigeria in October 2015 for the benefits of students between ages five and 14.

The programme saw about 100 students from several schools within the country competing and answering 150 mental arithmetic questions within eight minutes.

Director, J.S. High School, Surulere, Joyce Alli said every educational institution particularly at the primary school level should key into UCMAS learning concept so that they could produce students who are able to develop their accuracy and speed.

According to her, “The concept in fact affects the whole learning process, not just mathematics. Attention is key in every learning process, if a child is able to focus properly, he/she will turn out very well”.

She advised that government should incorporate the programme into school curriculum so that more children could also benefit.

On the relevance of the programme to a child’s mental and academic development, UCMAS Nigeria Country Manager, Mr. Emmanuel Alade explained that with its unique methodologies of stimulating and challenging the brain neurones of children, develops both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, thereby enhancing their concentration, imagination, logical reasoning, mental arithmetic skills, speed and accuracy, photographic memory, listening, creativity, visualisation and memorisation skills.