London school teaches students Vedic maths

Bangalore Karnataka: 21/12/2013:Education Consultant, James Glover.
 Photo: Sampath Kumar G P

A private British primary school chain in London has been training its pupils in Vedic mathematics for more than a decade, even as including the subject in school curriculum is a matter of debate in the country of its origin.

Vedic mathematics is taught compulsorily to pupils of the multi-cultural private chain of three schools, St. James’ Independent Schools, according to its former deputy principal, James Glover. Mr. Glover says he taught the subject to over 400 children from eight classes for over 15 years. The London school teaches pupils aged between five and 13 Vedic mathematics in English, interspersed with Sanskrit hymns.

Mr. Glover was in Bangalore to attend an international Vedic science conference organised by the National Institute of Vedic Sciences.

“Learning Vedic mathematics is fun, as it creates a sense of magic of numbers among children,” he told

The Hindu . According to him, the subject offers “fast and efficient methods” for solving problems.

Meanwhile, the national educational advisory body, National Council of Educational Research and Training, is yet to decide on introducing Vedic mathematics in schools in India. The proposal has been criticised in some quarters.

Mr. Glover, who now teaches Maths and Sanskrit at the Herschel Grammar School in London, remarked that Sanskrit education in India needs to be streamlined. In the 800 Sanskrit schools in the State, students were not enthusiastic about learning the language, he said.