TikToker Discovers A 'Kumon' Centre In England & Every Asian Kid Is Hyperventilating
"I was a victim of Kumon."
By Wayne Garreth — 01 Mar 2023, 02:56 PM
If you are an Asian kid, the odds are that you didn't escape going for extra tuition classes during your schooling days.
And no other learning centre was quite as popular as the Japanese educational provider, Kumon.
While we have all moved past those years in our life, Canadian TikToker Amanda Pun, who is currently based in London, was recently frolicking around a small town in England before she came across what absolutely no one expected to see in that part of the world: a Kumon centre.
In a brief conversation with SAYS, Pun revealed that the centre was based in a town called Frome, a civil parish located in eastern Somerset of England.
Pun's video garnered 1.6 million views and over 100,000 likes in just three days
Admitting her surprise over finding the centre, Pun remarked in the comment section that she didn't think Kumon would be a thing in the UK or Europe.
Collectively, a plethora of the comments were filled with individuals who used to attend Kumon sessions in their youth, joking about the academic 'strain' they endured during their time there.
"Childhood trauma," wrote one person, while multiple other users playfully labelled themselves as 'Survivors of Kumon'.
One user even mentioned how his dad made him take his Kumon homework along while they were on holiday, while another individual said her mother used to 'threaten' her with Kumon.
Nevertheless, multiple TikTokers from around the globe also detailed their personal experience at Kumon centres — with some coming from Ireland and Brazil.
"Kumon sneaks everywhere. There's literally one in Ireland," wrote one user.
Upon doing our own sleuthing, SAYS discovered that Kumon centres exist in over 60 countries and regions around the globe
According to a brief overview of the history relating to the education centre, Kumon was founded by Japanese educator Toru Kumon in July 1958, after he was inspired by teaching his own son, Takeshi. The company eventually developed to become a curriculum focused on memorisation for mathematics and reading.
As per the official Kumon website, there are approximately 51 offices in Japan and 68 offices overseas, accommodating up to 3,800 employees. As of March 2022, there are 24,000 Kumon centres in the world, with programmes that cater to kids as young as three years old.
And while any kid who attended extra tuition classes will sulk at the sight of going for even more, we tip our hats to Kumon for standing as one of the most consistent educational providers, playing a crucial role in the development of learning for the youth.
