Kumon represents an extraordinary success story in education, one that had its origin in Japan and has since spread to other parts of the world. Wherever Kumon has established itself, it has been warmly received and recognised for the unique, powerful educational tool it is designed to be.
The Kumon study programme started in a small way more than four decades ago in a Japanese home, where a concerned teacher and father, unhappy with his son's progress at school, decided to create a tutoring system of his own for his child. The system, focusing on mathematics and language, worked.
The child excelled at school, and the father, Toru Kumon, decided to share his discovery with other parents and children. Word went round, and soon the home study programme became a community fixture. It eventually evolved into a nationwide network of study centres helping children to learn effectively using the Kumon instruction method.
Kumon is now a household name in Japan, and the carefully graded and refined system of instruction has seen outstanding results across the nation.
From Japan, Kumon has expanded to Australia, North America, South America, Europe, Africa and other parts of Asia, including Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangdong. Kumon is now poised to reach out to China, where it sees unlimited potential for helping millions of mainland children. The Kumon China Vision was one goal outlined at the recent Kumon China Instructors' Conference 2007, a two-day event organised by Kumon Hong Kong.
Kumon is a learning method that aims to give children a solid grounding in mathematics and language skills, under the guidance of a specially trained instructor or mentor. Kumon classes are intended to complement and support a child's studies in school.