BRAC launches Kumon method

Hidenori Ikegami, president of Kumon Institute of Education Co Ltd, Japan, and Dr Muhammad Musa, executive director, BRAC, along with other officials and guests pose for photo at the launching ceremony of 'BRAC-Kumon' at the BRAC Centre in the capital recently.

BRAC has introduced Kumon, a unique method to cultivate and develop children's learning potentials, in Bangladesh, says a press statement.
The programme titled 'BRAC-Kumon' was formally launched at the BRAC Centre in the capital on September 18.
Toru Kumon, a Japanese teacher, developed the comprehensive method of learning mathematics and formally introduced it in his country in 1958. Named after its developer and initiator, Kumon method is being introduced in Bangladesh as a BRAC-Kumon initiative.
The first BRAC-Kumon centre started its activities at Dhanmondi on September 19. The second centre will open at Uttara in October. These two centres will run under a 27-month pilot project of BRAC-Kumon that started in July.
Twenty more centres will open in the next phase, spanning from 2019 to 2021, in different cities, including Dhaka. Apart from mathematics, English will also be introduced gradually as a subject of learning.
Hidenori Ikegami, president of Kumon Institute of Education Co Ltd, Japan, attended the launching ceremony as the chief guest while Dr Muhammad Musa, executive director, BRAC, was present as the special guest.
Dr Safiqul Islam, director, BRAC Education Programme (BEP), Hitoishi Ara, senior representative, Japan International Cooperation (JICA), Diasuke Arai, country representative, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Nehal Bin Hasan, project in-charge, BRAC-Kumon, marketing and communication manager Obaid Rahman, and human resource and administrative manager Anik Bhuyia spoke at the event.
Hidenori Ikegami said, "Students cannot utilise their potentials owing to two main reasons -- a lack of learning-friendly environment and lack of proper learning method. The BRAC-Kumon partnership will be able to ensure both the needs."
Dr Muhammad Musa said, "In reality we see many children do well in other subjects while remain weak in mathematics. The Kumon method will enable them to identify their weak sides from very early period and work on it."
Hitoishi Ara said while the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stress quality education, Kumon has the potential to contribute to the area by enabling children to learn better from early period.
Kumon programme is currently running in 50 countries where over 4.2 million students are studying in this method.