The Sociable Intellectual Progressive Academy Abacus and Brain Gym Learning Solution, Malaysia on Saturday launched a mathematical solution “Abacus” in Lagos to ease the school children’s difficulties in learning mathematics.
At the launch, Kelvin Tham, the founder of global SIP, identified mathematics subject as the greatest problem still facing many students.
Tham, a Malaysian and an ex-teacher, said the package was borne out of years of concern at the rate students dreaded and failed mathematics in schools.
According to him, “Abacus” is aimed at enhancing learning capabilities in mathematics among students across Nigerian primary and secondary schools to enhance national production.
Tham said: “I noticed that most children all over the world fear for numbers and this make them to feel that mathematics is too abstract and difficult to learn.
“The SIP Academy programme will take children through a step-to-step learning procedure, such that they will begin to love mathematics and overcome the fear for numbers.
“Since most students see numbers as abstract, SIP academy use beads as substitute in counting numbers in the students’ minds.
“As students follow through our programme, our aim is to ensure students love mathematics and arithmetic.”
He explained that some of the benefits got from SIP Academy worldwide include speed writing, character formation, team work, international network, proficiency and curriculum based syllabus.
In his keynote address, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, the Director, Centre for Planning Studies, Lagos State University, Ojo, said that less than 30 per cent of students, who wrote mathematics examinations internationally passed.
Omotayo said that the rate of failure in mathematics had continued to be a challenge to instructors and policy makers.
He said: “I am here because I know for sure that less than 30 per cent of the students that entered any mathematics examination nationally passed the examination.
“Mathematics always hunts all of us from the time we were born. I am convinced that mathematics can be made easier for our children.
“I know that if we are going to produce rocket scientists, then, our children must know mathematics.
“If our nation must be industrialised, then, we need to know mathematics.”
Omotayo said that the programme would change the way mathematics would be taught in Nigeria and therefore, made mathematics easy and interesting for students.
Also, Fela Bank-Olemoh, the Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Education, said that the state government was committed to partnering to enhance the quality of education in the state.
Bank-Olemoh said: “We must change things through partnership. As a government, we have to scale up everything we are doing.
“Our government is committed to providing quality education for teaming youths.”
He said that mathematics remained cardinal in the scientific and industrial development of any nation.
In his remark, Omiunu Napoleon, the Managing Director of Educraft Ltd., said that “Abacus” would enhance creativity and productivity of Nigerian students.
Napoleon, who facilitated the franchise for SIP Academy into the country from Malaysia, said that many countries had keyed into the aids to demystify mathematics for their industrial growth.
He said: “We want to raise a generation of students that can create and change the world by being proficient in mathematics.”
He said that the programme was targeting over 350 schools in Lagos State and would soon be launched in other states.
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