Rona Dugall: Kumon feel the noize of kids doing maths IT'S half past seven in the morning and my daughters are doing extra maths homework. They are looking at me with hatred in their eyes. And I don't blame them. When they're lying on the psychiatrist's chair in years to come, this is the moment they will look back on as the start of their poor dysfunctional lives. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little here, but I do feel a bit guilty about signing them up for Kumon maths. It's torture by another name really. On the Mumsnet website there is a chat room devoted to the subject - "To Kumon or not to Kumon." There, angst-ridden middle-class mothers debate whether or not they should subject their off spring to this Japanese method of "developing children's" skills in mental arithmetic." It was the brainchild of a secondary school teacher in Japan who wanted to give his own son the best start in life. When he discovered Takeshi wasn't fulfilling his potential with maths, he started creating worksheets for him to do every day at home. Now more than four million children in 46 countries around the world study with the Kumon method each day. Yes, every day. Even Christmas Day. On birthdays the parents have to do it - that will serve me right. It's hard work but it seems to do the trick. The problem is I don't know how much it actually inspires youngsters to love maths. But, I met a woman last week who thinks she knows how to pull off that almost impossible feat. Michelle Ham is a former Nasa astronaut trainer. She also worked in mission control for the international space station for over ten years. She was in Scotland to talk about her work with the International Space School Education Trust and was kind enough to come on our current affairs programme, Scotland Tonight. Her eyes shone with enthusiasm as she told me how Nasa's rover, Curiosity, taking its first tentative steps across the surface of Mars, had re-ignited interest in space exploration. The robotic vehicle is collecting data for future manned missions to the red planet - a mission that would define a new frontier of human exploration. And that's how she's selling maths to the kids - showing them the beauty and wonder of space. I've seen the space shuttle launch and it's the most amazing thing that one can ever imagine, if that can't inspire children, I don't know what can. She goes into schools and is amazed at how many pupils say they don't like science or technology. But she said: "Once I've shown them an amazing video of astronauts that shows them not just working hard in space, the launch and the space station but also the fun element too, because let's be honest, the idea of floating in space is just fantastic, then they are all hooked and want to go to space." But she's not just interested in children becoming astronauts. I'm interested in kids finding their passion. I'm really trying to direct them towards science, technology, engineering and maths if possible, because everywhere around Europe and America we lack students studying these crucially important subjects. Michelle's passion with space began when she was three, when her grandmother woke her up to watch the space shuttle launch. From that moment on, her dream was to go into space. Imagine her bitter disappointment when she learned she was medically disqualified from blasting off because she suffers from kidney stones. She married an astronaut though - Ken Ham, a space shuttle commander, no less. And she hasn't given up hope of fulfilling her lifelong ambition. She's a passionate supporter of space tourism and hopes she may be allowed to join one of the first ventures offered by Virgin Galactic - Richard Branson's company which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to space tourists. Michelle dreams of the day she can share what the astronauts she's trained have experienced. Every astronaut that I know talks about how we would all view our planet differently if you could have that literal different view. Earth is this little planet in the vastness of space and it gives you such an appreciation of our lives. With her passion and enthusiasm maybe she can change the way children view the world of maths as well.