Beads, not screens: How Ancient Abacus is rescuing Ghana’s children from digital distraction

“Replacing screen time with the abacus helps improve their concentration and allows them to focus more on their learning skills.”Organisers of the 2026 Smartmas Abacus Competition are championing this centuries-old tool as the antidote to what paediatricians call a public health crisis: excessive screen time.

Pius’s story is being repeated across the region as more schools and parents embrace the abacus not as a nostalgic relic, but as a practical, screen-free learning tool that builds discipline and mental agility.