BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE world’s leading after-school enrichment programme for Mathematics and English is now available to students in Brunei, following the opening of the Kumon Diligent Learning Centre in Kg Jaya Setia yesterday.

The Kumon Method, which hails originally from Japan, enables students to actively develop self-learning skills at levels appropriate to their abilities. It also aims to improve or instil confidence and knowledge in participants to solve challenging problems.

Speaking to The Brunei Times, Chief Instructor of Kumon Diligent Brunei Caley Lim said that Kumon was effectively a daily study programme for students.

“It’s a study programme that is individualised to every child, based on that child’s ability. Some children who are faster learners will start at a higher level, while some children who might struggle with a subject might start at a lower level,” Lim explained.

Besides coming into the Kumon learning centre twice a week, Kumon students will also study a little bit of Mathematics and a little bit of English for twenty to thirty minutes at home every day by doing assigned worksheets, she said.

“I think every parent would want to raise their children to be independent... to learn by themselves and to enjoy learning. That’s the ultimate aim for each and every student we have,” Lim added.

President of Kumon Asia and Oceania Atsushi Yamada said the greatest strength of the Kumon Method was letting children “experience the joys of entering the unknown world, such as by having them use their own efforts to understand new content”.

“When children study two or three years beyond their school grade level, they not only show great progress in their academic abilities, but also higher levels of independence, eagerness, judgment and creativity,” Yamada said.

“As of today, Kumon has spread to 48 different countries and regions. On the opening of this centre, Brunei will add the further spread to this global development of Kumon,” he added.

Among those also present at the opening yesterday were Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Noriko Iki and representatives of Kumon Japan.

As of March 2015, over 4.3 million students have been enrolled in more than 24,800 Kumon Centres around the world.

Brunei’s Kumon Diligent Learning Centre is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

It is located at Unit 31, Ground Floor of BT Complex in Kg Jaya Setia.

The Brunei Times