If there’s a will, there’s a way: The inspiring story of the Kumon Method founder

Toru Kumon is many a mother’s best friend.

With many children in awe of Math, many mothers find it the nightmare of homework period. To many kids, Math isn’t numbers — it’s like Greek letters! Totally unfamiliar.

Kumon, the founder of the Kumon Method of Learning,  was a high school teacher, who, in his desire to help his son Takeshi with Math,  wrote out calculation problems on loose-leaf papers. Those papers became the prototype for today’s Kumon Math worksheets. 

Years after his death in 1995, Kumon’s legacy lives on as he was able to develop a learning method, which has remained to be one of the most effective ones in the world. Currently, there are more than 55,000 students in the Philippines being nurtured in over 250 centers by the Kumon instructor-franchisees.

With Kumon centers located in 48 countries and regions, this unique learning method has enabled many young children to become the best that they can be even beyond academics. And this proud tradition continues on today.

In the Philippines, the first Kumon center was put up in 1982, while the company was incorporated as Kumon Philippines, Inc. in 1996. These Kumon center owners are very hands-on and committed to the development of every child in their respective centers. All of them went through a stringent application process before being given the prestigious title of being a Kumon instructor.  

“We see the realization of that dream when we foster people through individualized education. We at Kumon believe that educated people are more peace-loving,” says Harlan Busto of Kumon Philippines. “Our mission is to have an impact on the education system and the development of the student.”

Harlan says, “Through individualized instruction and self-learning design, Kumon students solidify their mastery of the topic and develop confidence and desire to advance further.”

The Kumon Story

Differentiating itself from other learning centers, the Kumon Method of Learning is set more for the long-term; Kumon materials were designed to help the children become independent learners. And all these were inspired by Kumon’s own son Takeshi.

As a high school teacher, Kumon had the right background to develop such a method, which is why it was only natural that his wife consulted him with regard to their son’s poor Math scores. Believing that the work of an educator is more about helping a child develop his or her skills in self-learning, Kumon thoroughly devised a learning system that will have such an effect on his own child.

After much trial and error, Kumon was able to come up with learning materials that his son would be comfortable in using, pushing him to develop his skills on a daily basis. Given his background in teaching, he focused on helping his son develop his calculation skills in an independent manner. He believed that the only way that a child can gain genuine academic ability is by making him progress on his own.

Takeshi spent half an hour tackling the worksheets his father prepared for him each day until he eventually developed the learning comprehension of being able to do differential and integral calculus, even though he was only a few months into the sixth grade. Delighted with how this learning method helped Takeshi, Kumon  and his wife invited some of the neighborhood children to try it out and they, too, greatly improved their learning abilities.

Seeing the potential of this new learning method, he wanted more children to benefit from it. Hence, in 1958 an office in Osaka was established that led to more Kumon learning centers.

Through word of mouth, news spread of the effectiveness of this new learning system, and the number of students steadily grew.

By making it easier for children to conquer Math problems, Kumon made victors out of both parents and children.

Truly, a learned world equals a more peaceful one! And that isn’t hard to figure out.

 (For more on Kumon Philippines, visit ph.kumonglobal.com.)

Farewell, ‘primo’ Donnie

In the end, the lively, energetic Donnie Ramirez chose to go quietly into the night, into the light. After more than a month of being in a coma after an emergency brain surgery, Donnie passed on at dawn last Tuesday (the day after his birthday) at the Makati Medical Center. He was 73.

He was a popular and well-liked society columnist, but without the airs associated with one who had the power and the privilege of putting people in the limelight. He was accommodating and as many of today’s established lifestyle and entertainment writers will attest, he was nice to them even when they had no bylines yet.

Donnie was a livewire, but was never loud. When he wanted to call your attention to something, he would say it in the form of a tease (biro) in his trademark raspy voice, so you would both giggle at his insinuation rather than be offended by it.

Donnie called me “prima” because he and my husband Ed shared a surname. I think we shared more than just a surname; we shared the desire to see the half-full glass, rather than the half-empty glass, in people and situations.

Donnie co-founded the long-running Bulong Pulungan lunch forum at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza with Letty Magsanoc and Deedee Siytangco in 1986. Deedee says that among the core members, he had the (almost) perfect attendance through the years.

Primo Donnie always made me feel that I was a somebody, that I could be the best that I could be. He affirmed me with compliments and praise when he felt I deserved them.

Donnie always liked to tell the story of how we were once mistaken as husband and wife during a fam tour sponsored by Singapore Airlines to the Lion City. Too polite to ask, but making sure they were ready just in case, the Shangri-La put us in adjoining rooms, with a locked connecting door. Everyone else was on a different floor.

After the trip, Donnie told my husband Ed, “Don’t worry Primo, the door remained locked throughout our stay. Your wife was safe with me!”

Godspeed primo! You will make everyone feel safe and special in heaven. (You may e-mail me at [email protected].)