With mathematics standards declining in Ireland as students fall behind their counterparts in high-performing countries, ALOHA Mental Arithmetic has a novel solution which is, in fact, ancient — the abacus.

The Irish company aims to promote kids’ mental development via its after-school educational programme, which uses the abacus and other methods to aid children’s mental development.

Aimed at the five to 13-year-old age group, the programme “contributes to their mental development in a fun-filled way”, said Lorcan O’Neill of Aloha.

O’Neill added: “Throughout the programme, students exercise both the right and left hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, making the most of their intellectual ability. Research has found that children will experience an improvement in all their school subjects, especially in mathematics.

“It has also shown that using the abacus improves children’s ability to calculate mental equations and develop cognitive abilities such as attention, concentration, creativity, imagination, spatial orientation, listening, analytical ability, photographic memory and observation.

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“Students develop the ability to visualise a math problem by regular practice of the abacus — and eventually the student will learn to solve the problem without the aid. By using this technique, students develop a photographic memory.  Much more than a math class, Aloha Mental Arithmetic classes include didactic games and group activities in order for children to develop other lifetimes benefits.”

Last June the company hosted its annual Mental Arithmetic National Calculation Championship in Malahide Rugby Club, with 70 students completing as many calculations as possible in five minutes using the abacus.

ALOHA is an acronym for Abacus Learning of Higher Arithmetic. In 1993, Loh Mun Sung decided to create a programme which, based on the use of the abacus, would go beyond and would enhance the coordination and development of both cerebral hemispheres.

It is taught in 38 countries worldwide and at 23 locations in Dublin, Meath and Wicklow. Now, O’Neill wants to extend that nationwide and intends to recruit franchise partners at the Franchise Show Ireland, which takes place on September 9/10 at the RDS in Dublin.