The Director of Operations, Christabel Schools, Abuja, Mrs Adedoyin Olumi, has called on the Federal Government to include the game of chess into school curriculum with a view addressing societal problems.
Olumi was speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the second edition of the school’s chess competition where pupils from eight schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) jostled for prizes.
She said the game of chess would build the consciousness of a child towards understanding the needs of the environment, saying that growing up with such mindsets could help building the nation.
According to her, the game is important to overcome distractions and children have to be groomed in a manner that helps them to focus.
“We cannot overcome our challenges as a country without first of all, knowing our individual position, the strength that we have, the weaknesses that we have to play into our strength to be able to overcome as a country.
” So using chess now on a macro level, the player is supposed to be able to win the game, to be able to understand how to overcome the opponent, so the opponents will be looked at as our societal problems.
“Chess is a part of our curriculum, so we take it very seriously and teach critical thinking which helps with Mathematics
” So, if chess is infused in the curriculum, students can learn and be able to solve problems confronting the country in time to come,” she said.
The director also wants private schools to partner Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to provide chess materials in schools for the creative need of the students.
She said that medals would be presented to the best performing students as well as schools to encourage them do better in subsequent competitions.
Meanwhile, Mr Augustine Akhigbe, the organiser of the competition said that the game should be taught to children from age four and above.
He said age bracket was critical for them to make quality decision that would lead to their benefits.
Akhigbe said the game should be encouraged at all levels of education because of its capacity to influence the role of the learner in any environment and to make proper decisions.
” Chess helps the children to take decisions in their academics, it is the ability to make decision at a point in time and a child as early as four years or five years should be exposed to chess as it makes them to adapt to situation early in life.
” It is a way of promoting the psychological skills of a child and building their capacity to become global leaders.
” Schools should also start the teaching of chess game from nursery two as this will help the mental capacity of such a child,” he said.
He added that the competition was organised to provide an avenue for students in FCT to the knowledge of chess game.
He also called on parents to expose their children to the game as well as encourage them to take active participation in the competition.
Speaking with the participating students, Ronald Ojo, a JSS 2 student of Christabel Schools said that chess game allows one to make informed decisions in every field of endeavour.
Ojo called on the government to invest in it so that children would be able to make the right decisions when they get to the position of authority.
” Chess is basically just a game about your brain power, in chess you’re able to make good decisions.
” The government can also help in the area of providing adequate finance to procure chess for schools across the country and also make a law for the compulsory teaching of chess education in schools,” he said.
Also, Damilola Ayodeji , a JSS 3 student of Degracia Model School, Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, said that the study of chess would help the political class navigate towards making a good policy that would lead to the growth of the country.
The schools that participated in the second edition of the game were: Care and cuddles School, First Choice Model Academy, Vinecare Nursery and Primary School, Little Gems Montessori Model school, Degracia Model School, the Ambassadors Academy, Christabel Schools and Glory International school.
However, for the secondary category, Christabel Schools clinched the first position while Glory International and the Ambassador Academy came second and third position respectively.
Also, in the primary category, Christabel Schools came top while Glory International and Care and Curdles Academy came second and third position respectively.(NAN)