Forty years ago Kumon, the global phenomenon in children’s education, launched in Australia. Four decades on and it has helped more than one million children across Australia and New Zealand to develop fundamental mathematics and reading skills.

And now more than ever Kumon’s focus on basic skill development remains relevant. 

Chris Melrose, deputy general manager of Kumon Australia and New Zealand, says parents are concerned their children’s basic mathematical, calculation and reading comprehension abilities are not strong enough. 

“They are seeking Kumon in particular because we focus on these areas,” Chris says.

“We see ourselves as able to support the teaching in schools. If we can develop these skills, kids will perform better in the classroom and achieve positive results across the syllabus,” Chris says.

Kumon’s core learning strategies

“Both abilities are the foundational skill for all subjects. Mathematics underlies all the sciences, and all subjects require reading. So improving the fundamental skills has a positive impact on all subjects,” he explains.

Japanese educator Toru Kumon founded the concept in 1958 when he realised children struggled because they didn’t have fundamental skills. The learning program is based on the principle of developing reading comprehension and calculation abilities.    

“It hasn’t really changed since; we’ve refined the worksheets but the principle is the same. And we’ve stayed focused on reading and mathematics,” Chris says. “That’s why we do them really well.”

Students completing the worksheet-based programs have until recently used just pencil and paper. Last year Kumon trialled its digital KUMON CONNECT program, which enables children to study on tablets using a stylus.

“It’s the same method, just digital. Children using this program still come in to a centre but everything is recorded and allocated online,” Chris explains.

The program officially launched in 2024, and now about 50 per cent of Kumon Centres in Australia and New Zealand offer this as an alternative delivery method.

“Some families prefer pencil and paper, some like the convenience and efficiency of digital. We have observed that families switching to digital are getting better progress; worksheet assignments can be adjusted in real time,” Chris says.

While Kumon is providing foundational learning in mathematics and reading comprehension through standard worksheets, there’s individualisation to ensure children learn at the right pace.

Boosting kids’ confidence

“When a child comes to a Kumon Centre, we can give them a placement test that determines where in the program they should start.

“They start with something they can already do. Every child is at a different point and they progress at their own pace. Stronger students can advance more quickly, those who need more consolidation progress more slowly,” Chris says.

So in a Kumon classroom, three primary school-aged children might be at different grades but all working on the same multiplication worksheet.

The focus on ability not age or school grade enables children to gain in confidence as they develop their skills.  

“If kids have strong abilities, they are really confident in the classroom. A lot of kids who struggle in high school don’t have the fundamental skills in place. They feel they are not keeping up so they feel they’re not smart. That’s not true, it is just that they’ve had gaps in their learning and haven’t mastered the fundamentals,” Chris explains. 

About 40 per cent of students continue with the program for more than a year; a small percentage complete the entire school-age program, which runs to year 12.

“Kumon gives the students confidence and they take that confidence in to the classroom. It is a simple premise but powerful.”

Kumon experience attracts franchisees

Chris says it’s “heartening” to see former students who are now parents bring their own children to Kumon.

Personal success with the brand’s methodology also brings in franchisees, he says.

“We have a lot of ex-Kumon students who have worked as assistants in our centres and now want to become franchisees. 

“And many of our franchisees were Kumon parents. They saw the benefits of the program, observed how it works and how a centre works, and that leads to enquiries. They think ‘My child did well, I think I could run a centre’.”

Kumon franchisees don’t need to be educators; however they do need a minimum of an undergraduate degree, in any subject, and a high level of maths and English ability.

Franchisees need the capacity to study the worksheets right to the end of the learning module so they understand the program and can support the children, Chris says.

Kumon franchisees include corporate or professional career individuals seeking a change of pace. They want flexibility and to run their own business.

Whatever their background, franchisees all have an overarching desire to work with children and contribute to the community, Chris says.

Kumon has stayed true to its principles, and demand is growing – for student enrolments and for enthusiastic individuals wanting to make a difference in children’s lives.

“Our enquiries year to date, in September 2024, were up 17 per cent on 2023,” he reveals.

“By becoming a Kumon franchisee, you can help Australian school students build confidence in the basics of mathematics and reading, setting them up for success in school and beyond,” Chris says.