SPARK Magazine | PILOT 2017
26 KUMON PHILOSOPHY
However, this teacher told us to study by ourselves in class. We were very pleased to be able to study at ease. It wasn’ t very difficult for us to read and understand textbooks by ourselves. If there were questions, we could go to the teacher and ask him. All of us worked very hard to advance our study of math. I was very happy when I registered my completed number of pages on the progress chart.
Although Toru Kumon and his classmates enjoyed this way of learning very much, it did not continue long. The teacher stopped it.
Later, Toru Kumon thought that to enable students to continue studying in this way and progress steadily, good study materials for self-learning and appropriate methods for estimating their progress were essential. The teacher, however, did not have them and therefore, was forced to give up teaching in this way.
SELF-LEARNING AS THE EDUCATIONAL POLICY
I would like to quote a few more passages from Give it a Try. This time Toru Kumon discusses his experiences in junior high school.
One of my junior high school’ s educational policies was to make students study the main subjects at least one year ahead of their actual grade level. If students were able, they could advance rapidly. What’ s more, the school promoted a self-learning policy that encouraged students to advance at their own pace.
This method suited me very well. If I advanced beyond the school grade level, I could study without putting much effort into it. In addition to that, I didn’ t like to be forced into studying or to have to listen to teachers’ lectures. An educational policy which encourages students to learn what they liked at their own pace by themselves was just right for me.
From this time forward, I began to think that all the other schools should adopt this policy of achieving the greatest result with the least amount of effort, so their students can enjoy their school life more.
The experience at the elementary school and the teaching method adopted at the junior high school had an effect on Toru Kumon’ s idea to develop good study materials that would enable every student to learn effectively on his or her own.
TORU KUMON’ S EXPERIENCES AS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER
The following quote is from the special lecture of Toru Kumon in March 1984.
I respect self-learning. When a student asked me,“ What kind of reference books are the best to use?” I answered,“ The Study Aid * of the textbook is the best.” The student did not take it seriously. He said,“ All teachers get angry when they find that a student has the Study Aid.” I said that those teachers were odd. Then, the student brought the Study Aid to school timidly. When he brought it, I praised him, admiring him because he brought it to school even though his bag had gotten heavier.
Some of the students came to the staff room for teachers to ask me about math problems. When a student came to ask me a question, I asked him,“ Did you look at the Study Aid?” If he answered,“ No, I didn’ t look at it yet,” I said,“ I will not teach you because you didn’ t look at it.” And when he came to me the next time, he said,“ I looked at the Study Aid.” Then, I asked him,“ Bring it here.” When he brought it, I asked him,“ Up to which lines did you understand?” He said,“ I did not understand at all. So I asked him again,“ Didn’ t you really understand at all? Don’ t you understand the first line?” He said,“ I understand the first line.” I said,“ Then, it’ s not true that you didn’ t understand at all.” And then, I said to him,“ I do not teach students who did not mark the part which they didn’ t understand.”
I believe that self-learning is the best way for students. I said,“ Don’ t use teachers instead of the Study Aid. You should study with the Study Aid by yourself.”
I truly regret that not so many teachers think like me. Some teachers may be worried about using the Study Aid. Even though students use the Study Aid, they write their answer first which they are able to solve by themselves, and then they check the answer by the Study Aid. In any case, they have to look at the Study Aid when they do not understand the problems, but they usually solve them by themselves after reading two or three lines of the Study Aid.
I am worried that some teachers think it is not good that students study by themselves instead of asking them. Students should be able to learn
* The Study Aid is a book similar to a Solution Book, and can be purchased in a bookstore. However, in Japan many students hesitate to purchase it because they feel it is cheating to use it.