Abu Dhabi: Fourteen high-school students were offered a high-achievers award, a certificate and Dh1,000 tuition fees for their participation and commitment in a recent mathematics competition.

The competition was under the Kumon Mathematics Programme (KMP), a Japanese technique of teaching arithmetic that helps to improve and sharpen a student's concentration, self-study habits and schooling.

Kumon is currently practiced in 43 countries around the world and has been well-established for the past 10 years in Abu Dhabi with the participation of approximately 20,000 students.

Around 163 high school students were given awards during the ceremony held on Monday evening at the Intercontinental Hotel for their participation in the KMP, organised by the Emirates Foundation (EF) and the Japan Oil Development Company (JODCO), an oil exploration company.

The EF is a nationwide philanthropic organisation with the aim of improving the quality of life for people in the UAE through stimulating intellectual and social growth, increasing access to cultural, educational and technological resources, contributing to environmental protection and fostering increased participation in civic life. They do so through their engagements with private and public sectors.

The ceremony was conducted under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Emirates Foundation.

"One of the greatest gifts we can give each other is the gift of opportunity. The foundation is proud to jointly sponsor the Educational Fund, which is providing opportunities for students to participate and progress in the Kumon programme and to develop overall academic competencies," said Khuloud Al Nuwais, Director of Projects at the Emirates Foundation.

Award winners

This year's tuition award recipients are: Mohamad Saeed Althib, Ahmad Khalifah Al Mazroui, Hmeid Mohammad Askari, Fahd Mohammad Al Hammadi, Ali Abdullah Alshihi, Mohammad Yahya Shaheen, Majed Yousuf Ebrahim, Yousuf Ayman Al Mansouri, Yousuf Ali Al Sa'ad, Saif Sameer Al Tahboosh, Mohammad Hamad Rashid, Adnan SulaIaiman Ballaith, Abdul Rahman, Abdul Hameed Khuri and Ahmad Saeed Althib.