Karim Jalal Atassi, 11, a Saudi summed up a lengthy numerical problem in just 18 seconds which an adult couldn't do in 45 seconds with calculator. This extraordinary calculating speed is due to the mental arithmetic education he is receiving. Attasi earned 4th rank in the annual Universal Concept Mental Arithmetic System (UC MAS) abacus and mental arithmetic competition. He is among the 32 participants who competed with 5000 students from 42 countries from around the world in Malaysia recently. Beside Atassi, two Indians from the Kingdom won first and third position. Last year also three Indian children won awards for the Kingdom. World of Science – a company under the license of UC MAS -- is responsible for the mental arithmetic program in the Kingdom. UC MAS is headquartered in Malaysia and has branches in 39 countries. It is believed that a majority of students are weak in math. “There are over 60 percent weak students in math in a single class because of the weak foundation provided during the elementary schooling period,” feels Iqbal Sheikh, a senior math teacher at Pakistan International School Jeddah. “There is lack of a practical approach in elementary schooling because of the lengthy curriculum. Teaching methods need a vigorous restructuring. Mental arithmetic is an old yet powerful technique which dramatically increases Math skills in students. However, there is less awareness about it and lack of interest by most of the schools in this area,” Sheikh added. According to Mohd Rafi, UC MAS program manager for the Kingdom, mental arithmetic has bright prospects. Despite being an ancient art of Asian countries, the use of the abacus and mental arithmetic is now flourishing world-wide. Annual world competitions are being held regularly and the technnique is now accepted and practiced in several countries like China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, India and now Saudi Arabia. The use of the abacus has extensively increased in Japan in the past decade and it has become part of the curriculum in most schools. The UCMAS programs are getting popular in the Kingdom, said Ahmed Maher Toukan, general supervisor of UCMAS. “The royal family in Tabuk is very interested in the program. We have an amazing response from remote areas like Jouf, Al-Qassim and others. We are contacting schools to adopt this program but there is little awareness and we lack financial support as well,” added Toukan. In Jeddah, these classes are being exclusively provided by The Future Experts, which has produced more than 1000 students in less than 2 years. Mental arithmetic is a program which builds the ability to calculate rapidly and accurately. Initially, an abacus is given to calculate the problem which is later taken and the child calculates problems mentally by assuming an abacus in the mind and by the manipulation of its beads mentally. This program stimulates both parts of the brain and allows the right brain to develop and to think even more effectively. Abacus, also called a counting frame, is an accounting tool invented in China around 2700 BC. The abacus consists of needles with beads arranged in two parts. Each bead has a different value assigned and calculations are done by sliding them respectively by both hands. It is supposed to be ‘brain gym.' Mental arithmetic is believed to develop confidence, concentration, observation, memory, visualization and imagination. Working on the abacus develops both hemispheres of the brain as it involves working with both hands. “More than 90 percent people die without using their right brain. Since children are taught to use their right hand for most of their work, eventually the left brain develops stronger, since the limbs on the right are governed by the left brain and vice versa, ” said Rafi This program is based on the “Zhusuan Methodology” – an ancient Chinese concept that coordinates the brain and body, and has been updated and simplified to meet the requirements of present day curriculum, informed Rafi. The brain of a six-year-old child develops up to 86 percent of the adult brain and weighs around 1200 grams. This is the most crucial and sensitive period of child growth, in which “their visual receptivity, aural recognition of sound and flexibility of finger muscles are developing. So the best time to work on children's mental growth ranges from 4 to 14 years,” Rafi said. Research says that mental arithmetic enables children to develop a photographic memory as well, since an image imprinted on the left brain stays for short span, but an image once recorded in the right brain stays forever in mind. Radhan Fahad, 11, an Egyptian arithmetic student said, “I have been taking classes for past three months and now I enjoy my math classes. Now I am able to help my friends as well in their studies.” The UCMAS program comprises eight levels – three months at each level. There are 2 hour classes per week, with a total of 12 weeks at one level. Each level has 24 hours. The program is priced at SR650 which is further subsidized if the consulate and embassies of the countries have signed a contract with UCMAS, said Toukan. Azza Al-Dabbagh, a mother of 3 children said, “I have noticed my youngest daughter of four is smart and has a sharper mind as compared to my other children who didn't take this course like her. I recommend this course to all parents who want their children to develop an interest in Math that goes beyong scoring good marks.”
