• YOUTH

Kumon’s Arrival: A New Era for Namibian Education

• 2 Months Ago

WINDHOEK, Namibia – 24 April 2025 | A Kumon after-school pilot program at M.H. Greeff Primary School has officially been launched, in a partnership with the Japanese Embassy, Kumon Education Institute, Namibia’s Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), and the Development Workshop Namibia and M.H. Greeff itself. The initiative, part of the Human Capital Development Project, aims to improve reading, numeracy and promote self-learning among Namibian learners through the internationally acclaimed Kumon Method.

The launch at M.H. Greeff School in Windhoek marked the official introduction of Kumon’s after-school program in Namibia — an initiative aimed at transforming learning. Developed in 1958 by Japanese educator Toru Kumon to help his son Takeshi Kumon, improve in math, the method led him to study calculus by the sixth grade. Today, it reaches over 3 million students in more than 60 countries, promoting self-learning and mental arithmetic to build confident, independent learners. This launch adds to Japan's long-standing support of Namibia since its independence in 1990, including funding over 300 classrooms, advancing inclusive education, and contributing to carbon reduction sustainability efforts.

Kicking off with some scripture followed by the Namibian, Japanese, and African Union anthems, the event set a warm and respectful tone, which was further reflected in a cultural nod as Kumon students, dressed in red traditional attire, performed a traditional Japanese dance. This was then later followed by a sweet Grade 3 choir performance in both English and Oshiwambo, highlighting Namibia’s own cultural richness.

“It is a pleasure for me to stand before you today to officially launch Kumon’s after-school pilot program here at M.H. Greeff Primary School,” said Mr. Shinichi Azazuma, the Japanese Ambassador to Namibia. He highlighted Japan’s support through the Grassroots Grant Assistance for Human Security Projects (GGP) program, which has funded 95 projects in Namibia since 1997 — 76 of them school-related — investing over N$79 million and building around 300 classrooms. “Japan believes education is the key to the future,” he said, expressing his confidence in the program’s impact before it is expected to end in November: “We expect the project to achieve improved and high running outcomes even within this limited time.”

The highlight of the day was the visit to a Grade 3 classroom, where around 30 students showcased Kumon-style learning in action. Using tablets loaded with Kumon math worksheets, they worked through exercises with help from their teachers, and even some of the visiting Japanese dignitaries.

Mr. Yoshikazu Matsuura, a representative of the Kumon Institute of Education in Japan, also shared his joy at the successful launch of the Kumon program at M.H. Greeff Primary School, noting how pleased he was to see students enjoying the experience. It is expected that the learners will continue with Kumon until the end of November. “We are confident that they will acquire not only high calculation skills, but also more cognitive skills like concentration, discipline, perseverance, time management, and self-confidence,” he said. “I believe those skills are crucial for them to lead a happy, healthy, successful, and contributive life — and that is exactly what the Kumon Method aims to achieve.”

“It is my sincere belief that with this program, we are on the right path to ultimately attain improved results”, said Mr. Paulus Nghikembua, the regional director of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture. The morning ended with a light brunch, marking the start of the Kumon program in Namibia. We are hopeful that it will boost numeracy and shift education toward student-centered, self-directed learning.