In line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, a University Don, Dr. Edward Nwenenda Onwuchekwa, a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Rivers State University of Science and Technology RSUST, has invented over 1000 Mathematical Games that will help teach students, 3 times tables to 192 times in two days.
Fielding questions from journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Dr. Chekwa commended the Federal Ministry of Education, former Minister of Education, Prof Ruqyyatu Ahmed Rufa’I, the Supervising Minister of Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike and the National Mathematics Centre, Abuja, for their endorsement of Chekwa Mathematical Games.
Dr. Chekwa disclosed that the endorsement provided him with the opportunity of moving the game from its local stages to China, where some of the games have been produced and slipped already to Lagos, Nigeria, for general use.
The RSUST lecturer maintained that his vision is to produce games for the Nursery, Primary, Secondary and University levels of education that will enhance their ability in learning mathematics in an easy and faster manner and to change the study of mathematics from the most hated subject to the most lovely subject in Nigeria.
Dr. Chekwa in the mean time commended JAMB for been a step ahead of students in the 2014 JAMB exam, attributing the mass failure of students on over dependency on answers that were to be sent through their phones, making it difficult for most students to cope with, when the pattern of questions for each student was changed.
He farther urged teachers to always accept responsibility on the failure of students in exams, just like the football coaches do after loosing a game, than to shift the blames on students and parents.
The applied mathematician described the teaching system in Nigeria as obsolete and stressed the need to train and retrain teachers, to give back the best to the students. He also identified the inability of teachers to cover their scheme of work at the end of a session because of strike or lack of time on the part of teachers as one of the bane to the development of education in Nigeria.
Dr. Chekwa who disclosed of floating Chekwa Mathematics Club for those that would want to discuss or learn maths, Chukwa Mathematical Games Club and International Society for Promotion of Educational Games, called for government support in the production of the games in Nigeria, in order to reduce cost and make it available for Nigerians.
While calling on private and corporate organizations to partner with his vision and project, Chekwa advocated on the need to use local languages in teaching mathematics and sciences in Nigeria, not disputing the use of English, but to be in line with the Chinese and other countries that first learn their language before any other.
Dr. Chekwa also pointed out that the standards that have been set in Nigeria nursery schools, be replicated at the primary, secondary and higher institutions to better the quality of education in the country, adding that the workshops that are about to take place in Imo State and other states, already have manuals, hoping that a Nollywood Star in Akwa Ibom State will soon produce movies that will teach and promote the use of Chekwa Mathematical Games in Nigeria.
Blaise Elumezie
