National Mathematical Centre to train students, teachers on mental arithmetic

The National Mathematics Centre (NMC) says it will train junior secondary school students and mathematics teachers across the country on mental arithmetic to improve learning of the subject in schools.

Mr Jekayinfa Olatunji, the Desk Officer on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), NMC disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

Olatunji said that it was imperative to train the students while still young in order to encourage them and capture their interest.

“In the National Mathematical Centre, one of our mandates is to prepare packages that will improve teaching and learning of mathematics across all levels of education.

“Mental arithmetic is part of the packages, because we have discovered that students have lost interest in the learning of mathematics.

He said the centre was training no fewer than 240 students from selected junior secondary schools in Bauchi and Ogun States on mental arithmetic.

“We are organising two-week training and we call it the nomenclature, mental arithmetic and mathematics improvement training for school students and mathematics teachers.

“We are currently conducting the training in Bauchi and Ogun States and in each of the states we have 120 selected students both from JS1 and JS2 and we will be finishing Nov. 2, 2018.

“The programme is term “Catch them Young’’ and the idea is to get them develop interest in the learning of the subject at tender age.

“Because it will be difficult to change someone’s opinion when it is formed, but when you catch them at the junior level the impact will be better,’’ he said.

Olatunji however appealed to the three tiers of government to encourage the centre through financial support to enable it train more students and mathematics teachers.

“Because if the centre has better funding more students and mathematics teachers at all levels of education will benefit,’’ he said.