Pupils can now overcome their fear of mathematics with a new internet application that can help them master the subject.
The Mathematics Laboratory Limited has launched the Naija Mathematics Olympiad (NMO), a mathematics application that helps pupils in secondary school to study and pass the subject.
Chairman of the organisation, Andy Akhigbe, said during the launch in Ikeja, Lagos, that the application follows school syllabuses to teach pupils through quizzes, practice questions, mock tests and mathematics competitions, whose solution processes are thereafter explained step by step.
He noted that if people give attention to maths early in life, it would be easier for them to become whatever they want to be, as the subject is central to other courses.
Among the website’s advantages are the ability to download practice questions, such that pupils do not need to be connected to the internet every time they need to practice, thus giving them a 24-hour access to the practice questions.
All it takes is the registration payment of N6000, and the application is open to every child for a full academic session of nine months and the child’s life is insured with the sum of N500 000 by Mutual Benefits Assurance Limited, a partner with the organisation.
Managing Director of Mutual Benefits, Mr Ademola Fagbeyin, attributed the disdain for mathematics to lack of proper equipment and learning platforms that could help in its learning.
He said the fear of mathematics is a contributing factor to the country’s underdeveloped state.
“To be successful, you need mathematics. The idea of this application would transform destinies, add value and change lives. Immediately a child logs on and registers for the first time, there is a life assurance covering the guardian; so in case of casualties, there is a benefit of up to N500 000 to cover the child’s education,” he said.
A major partner of the firm, Mrs Scholastica Adeniji-Fashola, said NMO was designed to provide pupils with access to questions based on the class they register in the application.
She hopes the NMO would correct the general impression that mathematics is difficult and help pupils love the subject.
“We are here to let students know that mathematics is not so difficult, it is as easy as any other subject. We wanted to make maths a subject that every Nigerian child would love because maths is one of the subjects that form the basic foundation for any discipline at the university level. This is why we developed this app. We see a lot of students using the phone, laptop or iPad to play games. We want them to channel some of that energy they use on games to learning, which would be beneficial to them. The students can actually have their phone and learn maths and practise it anywhere they are across the globe,” Adeniji-Fashola said.
In the event of any challenges encountered in the process of using the application, she said good support had been put in place to help users in handling the app.
Supporting the firm at the launch, President of Mathematics Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Rasaq Jimoh, decried the increasing rate of failure of mathematics by pupils.
He said: “We abuse maths. People are not usually bothered by its failure, whose rate keeps growing every year. It is just a tool for technological development. Maths develops the mind intellectually, physically, emotionally and socially. Maths is fun.”
Jimoh advised parents not to discourage their children in the study of mathematics, with negative comments about it.
“Whenever people say maths is difficult, please don’t join them so that you can encourage the youths. Even if you did not like it in school, please do not tell them that. If we build manpower to teach maths, it would be a good thing,” Jimoh added.
