UCMAS Present Awards To 2018 Winners Of Malaysia Contest

The Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS), a professional organisation dedicated to developing the intellect of children, has presented awards to the winners of the 2018 UCMAS international competition held in Malaysia.

38 individuals received various awards for their achievements out of the total of 39 participants who contested in the competition.

The ultimate prize of the competition in the first placement went to Ms Aseyenedi Esi Tamakloe of Ancilla International School.

Others in the first placement were David Commey, Racheal Larye, Ishmael Nortey of Alpha Beta School and Malik of Al Rayan International School.

The UCMAS concept is a brain development programme for over 300 schools through 50 learning centres for children between 6 - 14 years of age across the country.

Mr Roger Ohemeng, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for UCMAS Ghana, said the programme which is in its 23rd edition, is organised globally to unearth talents in the country who have proven that they can achieve greater heights when given the requisite training.

He said there is an ongoing partnership between UCMAS Ghana and the Ghana Education Service (GES), to ensure every Ghanaian child part-take in it, adding that they are committed to improving maths and science education among others to the benefit of the Ghanaian child.

"Our training is not solely based on mathematics and calculations but a brain development programme seeking to enhance the creative thinking of these children,” he said.

Mr Ohemeng said the organisation, as part of their efforts to extend the programme nationwide, is putting in place measures to help schools in the private and public sectors to participate without encountering many challenges.

“A scholarship will be given to the grand winner of this year’s competition and that will be the presented to the school,” he posited.

He urged government and other stakeholders to support the programme, since they cannot be left out when it comes to supporting education in the country.

The 2018 champions were given the opportunity to demonstrate their speed and accuracy to the excitement of the audience with use of abacus, an aged tool specialised for the competitions.

Mr Andrews Quaning, the Deputy Director for Science and Mathematics Education, said it is always exciting to watch these young ones exhibit skills and brain power, as they participate in the programme.

He added that Ghana will soon produce other famous mathematicians like the late professor Francis Allotey.

He said that GES is committed to providing a well-round education to develop the child’s concentration, creative thinking, memory power, logical reasoning abilities and to boost their confidence to face impending challenges.

The winner of the ultimate prize, Miss Aseyenedi Esi Tamakloe, called on the youth to participate in the programme which does not focus only on mathematics but other important subjects.