Eric Borsah, Senior Operations Officer at the Free SHS Secretariat, has praised the Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS) for strengthening early cognitive development among basic school pupils.

Speaking on behalf of Benita Sena Okity-Duah, National Coordinator of the Free SHS Secretariat as the special guest of honour at the 15th UCMAS National Competition. He said he was particularly impressed because the Free SHS programme directly absorbs pupils from the basic school level.

“The UCMAS competition itself enables children to develop early cognitive learning skills,” Eric noted.

He highlighted that the programme builds critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and independence in learners.

“We want children to be able to think critically and solve problems on their own. With UCMAS, STEM, and robotics, they are challenged to tackle issues independently and build on their cognitive skills. This is something we in the education sector are proud of,” he stated.

Borsah further called on parents and schools to give such initiatives the attention they deserve. “I encourage children to embrace it and urge parents to support their wards to excel in fields like this,” he added.

The 15th UCMAS National Competition brought together over 2,500 pupils from 120 schools nationwide, with 300 students honoured for outstanding performance.

Patrick Ampeh, Head of Schools for UCMAS Ghana and a member of the organising committee, described this year’s 15th UCMAS National Competition as a major success, applauding the outstanding performance of participants.

“Our champion did amazingly well. For young children to be able to answer 200 questions within eight minutes is a great feat,” Ampeh said. He added that pupils also demonstrated their ability to apply UCMAS concepts to solve a mathematical problem within 23 minutes, describing it as another remarkable achievement.

Ampeh noted that the excitement and joy expressed by the learners after receiving their awards confirmed the impact of the programme. “As part of the organising committee, I would say the event was successful,” he stated.

He emphasized that strong academic foundations are key to future greatness. “For every child to become great in future, it depends on the foundation. With UCMAS, we help broaden their knowledge base, develop both the left and right brain, and build critical thinking skills.

This enables them to excel academically and later apply these skills in their professional lives,” he explained.

Report by Bernard K Dadzie Greater Accra Region