With the boom of computer & miniature electronic devices, the aptitude for mental computational skills are in decline. I had a classmate from Japan, and he was so used to calculators that even for simple arithmetic he used to look of a calculator. This trend seems to catching the present Indian generation as well.

Recent studies show that the skills of pupils are getting worse and worse. In one of the study, tested 106 Final year students of primary school? in mental addition and subtraction (within the limits of 20), multiplication and division (within the limits of 100). Standard tables including 64 elementary operations on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division were used for determination of the level of the skills.

The results turned out worrying: 52% of the sample has failed in addition and subtraction; 75% of the sample has failed in multiplication and division. In comparison with the data which had been obtained five years ago there is considerable deterioration (25 - 30 %). The investigations show that all of these pupils have no chances to understand and master more complicated topics. If the trend will not change, very soon school math will turn into "knowledge for minions of fortune" and will become a sort of magic for other pupils.

This scenario has been aggravated by present education system as well as incompetent teachers. The learning activities put more emphasis towards better grades, and so students try to minimize their chances of error. At the same time teachers lack innovative ideas towards teaching subjects like mathematics, which are still taught in a very rudimentary ways.

Things have started improving as more and more educationists are realizing the importance of improvement of maths education in India. CBSE, which is the major board of secondary & higher secondary education in India, introduced various methods to improve school maths educations. The schools are also taking initiatives to improve maths education in India. Some schools are taking help from education consultants, like XSEED, to bring changes in their school education.