By Tare Youdeowei

Bothered by the phobia school children have for numbers and numerals, the Mathematics Laboratory Limited (MLL), Friday, launched the Naija Mathematics Olympiad, an online platform for mathematics practice and testing for junior and senior secondary schools in Nigeria.

Cross section of Students and Proprietress of Abbot Schools at the Open Day

At the launch in Lagos, Director of MLL, Andrew Akhigbe, disclosed that; ‘’The problem we seek to address is the perennial problem associated with mathematics anxiety and the general phobia for numbers by students of junior and senior secondary schools.

“Our  ultimate goal is to replace mathematics anxiety and phobia for numbers with a love for the subject and numbers in general for increased problem-solving skills in the digital age.”

Akhigbe who said the online solution is a practice, test and reward model, explained that “Firstly, students go online and learn every aspect of Mathematics. Secondly, students can take the test under strict examination conditions and monitor their progress through continuous assessment.

Thirdly, students can schedule themselves to take a Mathematics Olympiad and determine where they stand in relation to other smart students at the local government , state and national level. Winners, schools and their teachers would be rewarded at the end of the exercise.

“At the moment, national exams like WASSCE, UTME and others are now Computer-Based Test (CBT). So, if a child knows  how to take test at age 10, when he starts taking CBT exams like  WASSCE and UTME, it won’t be an issue to him or her. In this exam, there are  three things at stake.

“One, the questions changes, the answers to the  question differs and the third platform is to reward the students,  teachers and the school. Based on what the students have learnt and  all the tests they have done, they should always be prepared for an external examination,” he said.

He added that “There is also an insurance package by Mutual Benefit that guarantees a  fixed amount for every student on the program, in the event that the child loses his sponsor and can’t continue. So, it’s a robust platform for kids to come and do mathematics.”

On how parents can monitor the performance of their children in the programmed, the MLL boss said: “If a child is signed on, parents can check the continuous assessment. There is a place on the website to check how well the kid is doing. Most of the solutions of how problems are actually solved are on the

platform. So, you get to see how problems are solved and their answers. You can also put yourself under examination conditions to see how you progress. “

Partners to the online solution are Dragnet Solutions Limited, which provided the software driving the programme, Upperlink Limited which provided the portal to manage the program, Juvang Apps which provided the Mathlab application that makes it possible for indigent students who can’t be online regularly to use the programme, Skye Bank Plc, banker to the programme, Mathematical Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, as well as the Lagos State Ministry of Education and  National Mathematical Centre in Abuja which provides the training, teaching materials and Olympiad questions.