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A history of Kumon

Company founding

The Kumon Method of Learning was born from one father’s love for his child in 1954. Toru Kumon, a caring father and gifted high school maths teacher, saw that his son Takeshi was not excelling in maths at school. To help him improve he wrote out maths worksheets for his son to complete daily. Toru Kumon believed that educators have a responsibility to foster a mindset of self-learning in children, so he created learning materials for Takeshi that encouraged him to work independently.

Takeshi’s ability improved significantly and following his son’s success, Toru Kumon invited some local children to study in the same way. In turn, all of them greatly improved. It was this, coupled with Toru Kumon’s desire to develop the potential of as many children as possible, that prompted him in 1955 to open the first Kumon maths centre in Osaka, Japan. Kumon expanded to Tokyo in 1962, reaching a combined total of over 10,000 students studying with Kumon by 1969.

Toru Kumon and his son

Early years of international expansion

In 1974, Toru Kumon published a book entitled The Secret of Kumon Maths which illustrated the aims of the Kumon Method and its effectiveness so far. It was well received, provoking a flood of enquiries. At the same time, Kumon began to expand internationally, opening its first centre outside of Japan in New York, USA. The total number of Kumon subject enrolments in Japan continued to grow, reaching 200,000 by 1977.

Throughout the 1980s, Kumon expanded both in geographical reach and in subject matter. In 1980, Kumon successfully opened its first centre in Europe in Germany, moving into the UK market in 1983. It also developed the Kumon English Programme (for native Japanese speakers) in 1980, as well as the Kumon Japanese Programme (for native Japanese speakers) in 1981. By the late 1980s, there were affiliated Kumon companies and study centres in Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong and Canada. By 1989, the total number of subject enrolments exceeded 1.5 million.

Meaning of the Kumon logo

The Kumon Method of Learning encourages both students and Instructors to think deeply to solve problems and work out answers. The O in our Kumon logo represents the ‘Thinking Face’. This is the expression of students who are engaged; learning, thinking and growing in Kumon study centres across the world. Similarly, it represents the faces of everyone involved in Kumon. From Associates to Instructors, there is a mutual desire to grow and improve, putting education and the development of each child’s potential at the forefront of our thoughts.

The Kumon blue used in our logo represents intelligence, honesty and the sky that stretches across the world. It also represents our hope that the world will be united, the future of our children will grow on a grand scale and that people all over the world will think seriously about education.

Kumon in the UK

The first UK Kumon study centre opened in the United Kingdom in 1983, followed by an affiliated company being established in 1990. By 1991, Kumon Education UK was established with the Kumon English Programme (for native English speakers) arriving in 1997. Kumon is now the largest supplementary education provider in the UK and Ireland with more than 55,000 Kumon students learning at more than 610 study centres across the UK and Ireland.

Kumon has continued its global expansion, with over 3.5 million students worldwide studying in more than 60 countries and regions around the world. View the timeline below for more details.

The 1950s
1954
Toru Kumon, a high school maths teacher, began providing education-based on the concept of self-learning to his son, Takeshi, then a second grader in elementary school. He wrote numerous calculation problems on loose-leaf paper for his son. This was the origin of the Kumon Method.
1955
The first maths centre using Kumon worksheets is opened in Osaka, Japan.
1958
The Kumon Institute of Education is established.
1959
Toru Kumon starts the Advanced Student Honour Roll - celebrating students learning independently, above the level expected for their age.
The 1960s
1962
The Osaka Institute of Mathematics Ltd. is established.
1968
Toru Kumon retires from Osaka Municipal Higashi High School, ending his teaching career to focus on the business of the Kumon Institute.
1969
The number of Kumon students exceeds 10,000.
The 1970s
1974
The first Kumon centre outside of Japan opens in New York, USA. It was with the opening of this Centre in New York that the provision of Kumon Method study outside Japan first began.
Opening the first Kumon Centre in New York
1975
The number of Kumon students exceeds 100,000.
1976
Kumon celebrates the first student to complete the final worksheet in the maths programme.
1977
The first pre-school-aged child to be able to solve linear equations is nurtured via the Kumon Maths Programme.
1978
Takeshi Kumon (Toru Kumon's son and the first Kumon student) is appointed as the President of the Kumon Institute of Education.
1979
Kumon arrives in Europe, offering the maths programme in Germany.
The 1980s
1980
The first Kumon Recommended Reading List is prepared.
The Kumon Recommended Reading List
1981
The number of Kumon students exceeds 1,000,000.
1 million Kumon Students world wide in 1981
1983
The first Kumon study centre in the United Kingdom opens.
1987
The first Kumon International Instructors' Conference is held at the Kumon Kyoiku Kaikan in Osaka, Japan.
1988
When the vice principal of Sumiton Elementary School in Alabama saw a TV programme about Kumon she became convinced of the efficacy of the method and felt that it could really help her students to get over their aversion to maths. This was the first time that the Kumon Method was utilised in regular school classes outside of Japan. The results were even greater than expected and this achievement was hailed as the "Miracle of Sumiton" in a variety of media. This publicity led to greater awareness of Kumon and the establishment of more and more Centres around the world.
The 1990s
1990
An affiliated company is established in London, UK.
1991
Kumon Educational UK is established.
1993
The number of Kumon students worldwide exceeds 2,000,000.
1995
Chairman Toru Kumon passes away at the age of 81 (25 July).
1997
The Kumon English Programme (for native speakers) arrives in the UK.
President Takeshi Kumon passes away (7 January).
The 2000s
2001
The new Kumon logo is created. The number of Kumon students exceeds 3,000,000 worldwide.
2006
The number of Kumon students exceeds 4,000,000 worldwide.
2008
The Kumon Group celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The 2010s
2011
Kumon UK celebrates its 20th anniversary at the annual Instructor conference in Brighton.
2014
Kumon Instructors across the globe met in Japan to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Toru Kumon.
2017
Kumon reaches 50 countries and regions around the world.
2018
The Kumon Group celebrates its 60th anniversary.
The 2020s
2020
Kumon UK and Ireland celebrate its 30th anniversary and introduce Kumon online to support students isolated at home during the COVID global pandemic.
2022
Kumon reaches 60 countries and regions around the world as it launches a centre in Pakistan.

Student Success Stories

At Kumon we nurture confident, independent learners who experience success both inside and outside of the classroom.

Chloe takes off with Kumon

Seventeen-year-old Chloe at the Kumon Corby Study Centre is feeling justifiably proud of her achievements because she recently completed the Kumon Maths Programme!
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Daksh aims to achieve his goals through Kumon study

Daksh at the Kumon Northampton South Study Centre has achieved something incredible – he has finished the entire Kumon English Programme at only 13 years old!
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Talking Kumon with Yash, a Maths Programme Completer.

17-year-old Yash has been with the Kumon Northampton South Study Centre since 2020 and, after only three years of learning and growth, he has successfully completed the Kumon Maths Programme. This is a fantastic milestone and Yash has a few words to say about how Kumon has helped him develop as an independent learner.
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