The Mental Universal Concept of Arithmetic Systems (UCMAS) competition was organized this Saturday, April 07, 2022, in Conakry. The purpose of this concept is to develop and stimulate the brains of learners by subjecting them in particular to mathematical operations to enable them to familiarize themselves with this discipline. And, also, it allows them to excel in other subjects.
Students, parents of students, but also representatives of the Ministry of Pre-university Education and Literacy and that of Sports and Youth attended the competition which took place inside the stadium of September 28, reports Guineematin.com through one of its journalists.
243 students, aged 4 to 14 and from 22 private schools in Conakry, competed in two rounds. The first consisted of 8 minutes flat to perform 150 mental calculation operations on sheets; and, the second dealt with the mental calculation of several operations.
Applied in 80 countries around the world, the organizers of UCMAS hope that this concept will be integrated in Guinea to better prepare young students in the country.
Saïkou Oumar Baldé, Director General of UCMAS Guinea
“We want the authorities to understand our initiative so that they understand our idea so that they integrate it into the Guinean education system for the benefit of the country’s children. As you can see, children are capable of doing extraordinary things. So we want to help prepare the children of tomorrow… We have been to the various private schools that are our partners, we have made them aware. Some accepted the program from the first day, because they knew it, especially in Malaysia, the United States, France, Côte d’Ivoire. So it was not very difficult for them to join. While it was difficult for others, since they did not know the program. So they always wanted the authorities to integrate him into the national education system before they would accept him. Our goal is that next year we can have 2,000 students to compete,” explained Saïkou Oumar Baldé, director general of the Mental Universal Concept of Arithmetic Systems (UCMAS) in Guinea.
For Moustapha Doumbouya, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Pre-University Education and Literacy, this initiative is to be welcomed and encouraged. Moreover, he assured that his ministry is in phase with this concept.
Moustapha Doumbouya, chief of staff of MEPU-A
“We salute the actions of all our private partners who are working in this direction and particularly the UCMAS program which works to awaken genius in our children so that they have more skill in the use of their cerebral capacities. Minister Guillaume Hawing, as soon as he made contact with those responsible for the UCMAS program, instructed the technical services of the Ministry to carry out discussions which should lead to proposals that could make it possible to benefit from this program for all the children of Guinea. This program is for us an initiative that deserves to be scaled up nationally. It is in this logic that we wanted to take part in this second national competition of written and mental calculation”, said Moustapha Doumbouya.
Abundant in the same direction, Mrs. Fatoumata Conté, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Youth and Sports suggested that this UCMAS program is part of the reforms initiated by the new authorities of Guinea.
Mrs. Fatoumata Conté, Chief of Cabinet of the Ministry of Youth and Sports
“With what I have also seen in practice, frankly I am satisfied. And, it gives me great hope for the education of our youngest. I think it’s just a plus, because education is the basis. We have seen that these are toddlers who are there exercising. And, to see them, we feel that they had a great preparation upstream. This is really satisfying and we know that for sure the results of the exams this time will be much better than in previous years. This comforts us in more ways than one. The government, through the Ministry of Education, will help them so that the next editions will be better and better and that it will be extended throughout the territory, in the private and public sector”, indicated Fatoumata Conté.
It should be noted that six (6) winners were selected at the end of the competition of the mental universal concept of arithmetic systems (UCMAS). The award ceremony, but also the satisfaction of the schools, is scheduled for next Saturday in a hotel reception in Conakry at 9 a.m.
Mamadou Yahya Petel Diallo for Guineematin.com