LAHORE: Kumon Pakistan on Saturday hosted an opening ceremony for its second branch located on Upper Mall to help promote independent learning and critical thinking ability in students.
The ceremony was attended by delegates from Kumon Institute of Education Co., Ltd. (‘KIE’) Japan as well as the Kumon instructors. The Institute partnered with Rabia Saleem to bring the first Kumon Centre to Pakistan in 2022.
Kimihide Ando San, Pakistan’s Honorary Investment Counsellor to Japan was also present at the ceremony. He stated that he is an avid supporter of the programme and is keen to see Pakistani learners benefit from the Kumon method, especially amidst the various challenges faced by the country in the field of education. He stated that it took five years to convince Kumon Institute to partner with Pakistan and open a franchise in the country.
“The partnership provided the missing link between the proven global Kumon model and the untapped Pakistani market. Having Rabia on board as a strong partner made the venture more feasible and promising,” Mr Kimihide told Pakistan Today.
He also stated that he is happy to be “a small piece of the jigsaw puzzle” to bring the Kumon model here along with Rabia in fostering a substantial educational change within Pakistan.
“The fusion of the well-established Kumon model with Pakistan’s vast population and potential marked a turning point in grassroots education. The vision of seeding hundreds, possibly thousands, of Kumon centres across the nation reflects the transformative potential within the Pakistani educational landscape,” he stated.
Not only that, as of now there are about 24,500 Kumon learning centres in more than 50 countries and regions around the world. In this era of technology, Kumon has adapted to the digital way of teaching with Kumon Connect.
While talking to Pakistan Today, Kumon Pakistan President Daisuke Kodama told us more about Kumon Connect, a technological advancement that enhances the traditional Kumon method. While the core worksheet content remains consistent, Kumon Connect provides instructors with in-depth insights into students’ progress. Instructors can monitor completion times, problem-solving approaches, and scores, enabling a deeper understanding of each student’s learning process.
“This information empowers instructors to provide personalized and effective guidance, tailoring their support to individual students,” Mr Kodama stated, adding that this technology is available in all Kumon Centres worldwide for students, parents and tutors.
Rabia, who was the founding instructor at Kumon Pakistan Centre had set clear expectations of what one should expect from the programme and she understood each student individually, fostering motivation and growth. This contributed majorly to the success of the first branch, which then led to the opening of this new branch.
“The selection and training of instructors are critical components of this success. The main requirements for instructors are passion and an open attitude towards learning, ensuring a mindset that continuously adapts and improves instructional skills,” Mr Kodama stated.
Lastly, the Kumon Pakistan President stated that enrollment for the Upper Mall branch will begin by the end of the month and they are all set to launch a centre in Karachi as well in November.
