Anonymous
map-marker Adelaide Cbd, South Australia

Kumon for our 3 children terminated

Our 3 children have attended Norwood Kumon, South Australia for about 5 years. Today (27/07/23) we were told via text message (by the person running Kumon at Norwood) that as of today our account was cancelled and our children were not to return.

There was no reason given and no warning given before this decision was made.

I find this incredibly unprofessional and incredibly cold behaviour.

This may be normal for Kumon, but I doubt it. Our children have improved their math skills greatly over time through Kumon.

I would really appreciate feedback/comments from Kumon management, as I am astounded by what has happened.

We are looking elsewhere to enrol our children.

Thank you.

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User's recommendation: check out the people running the business

william w Rqk
map-marker Perth, Western Australia

Students are not learning the concepts on maths.

My daughter was enrolled in maths. When the year end holiday was around the corner, we were automatically enrol in the holiday program without my consent because we did not informed them.

Also when we decided to try out their English course. my daughter was started in a level too low for her.

We requested that she begin at the level inline to her standard, but was turn down because it is the policy to start at the lowest level. Due daughter eventually stop the Language but we still have to pay for the whole course.

I think the this operator is very dishonest and unethical.

Finally my daughter did not enjoy Kumon, maybe is not for her.

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Cons:
  • Does not focus on problem solving skills
My N Tqw

As someone who has been sent there as a student...

Let's get the basics about myself and why I was dragged into a mess called "Kumon". In my opinion, Kumon is absolute trash to send your children to, or to work for.

So, pretty much I was sent there for being an energetic kid, and our school didn't hand out homework (it's a policy my primary school had that I was grateful for), and I was one of those "smart" kids. My folks decided that I needed something to do, so wowie zowie here comes Kumon.

And so starts this journey. I was in 3rd or 4th grade when I was there, and as I said, I didn't really need help at all for my grade level work. My Mother was probably just jealous she had to do homework when she was young (I'm sorry, but today is the 1970's in Asia, this is 2010's in Australia, and I'm sorry your curriculum was different, but that's not my fault).

We got in, and they said some stuff about "self learning". I had to take a test, and I wasn't aware of what was happening, but looking back, it's pretty weird they put me at the bottom. I worked my way up, and school started to become more boring than it used to be. Not only that, but I only "learned" half the stuff because it's just ARITHMETIC not actual problems you see in real life.

I was given loads of work, even on holidays, and all of them were uninteresting pieces of paper with unrealistic problems. We had to mark our own work (lazy, much! we basically paid for paper with ink on it!) and repeat the same junk if we got one or two questions incorrect. After awhile, I was a few years ahead of my grade level, and stuff became quite hard. I couldn't be bothered to do the work because it was just the same s//t over and over again. My parents didn't want to mark stuff, the work was stuff my parents didn't understand, and it just sucked.

After we quit, I was so much more relieved, and so was everyone else. I couldn't imagine how much worse it would be if I had to do it again, the anxiety is just too much, and I don't need this crap.

I came onto here, and I was horrified of the stories about the crimes against children, this "Nicole Smith" who sounds like an absolute maniac, and just the whole idea of lifeless hours spent solving irrelevant maths problems is awful.

And even better, I might be dragged back there with no consideration with how I feel (and since I'm older, I should have a say in things) and for a completely bogus reason. I'm being punished because people only judge me for how "good I am at school".

I hope this company goes bankrupt, and that parents know what the f//k they're doing before taking their kids there.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a second think about Kumon. Dead

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Loss:
$1000
Reason of review:
Not as described/ advertised

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

2 comments
Guest

from the day they opened in town, I have NEVER seen any kids there, but I think they are running the daycare center right beside the learning centre.....The name *** ON is really *** added with a daycare????? woah, ***

Guest

The name of that company is laughably obscene.

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Melissa A Sha
map-marker Atwell, Western Australia

What good is kumon?

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First of all, I hate how the tutors don’t even TEACH the kids how to complete the question properly. They just hand you the worksheet, and don’t even tell you how to do it.

“Make sure you understand this”, they say, “It should be fine!” They say. And then, when the student gets the answer wrong, they get in trouble. And for what, exactly? Oh, let’s see, because they didn’t teach the student how the question is bloody well completed, and because they said everything was fine. Great.

Secondly... WHY ON EARTH ARE THEY GIVEN HOMEWORK ON HOLIDAYS?! Doing this, reduces free time down to no time at all. How can children spend quality time with their families during special events, if they have bloody homework to do!? Not to mention, that some children are even bullied, because of all the studies children do. “Haha, you’re a nerd”, “Why do you study so much?”, “Are your parents nerds, too?” Is the least I’ve heard from some bullies.

Third, this homework is way too stressful. This homework is handed out to CHILDREN! Not OFFICE WORKERS! My younger cousin is overworking herself, and cries each time she realises that she has homework to do. Children do not deserve this!!!

Also, what is the use of the work students do? None of the work is related to what students actually do at school. And I’ve heard that some of the tutors aren’t even real qualified Math/English teachers. Not to mention, that I know someone with a son in fourth grade, who does year 7 work in Kumon. What good does that do? I’d bet that by the time he actually reaches seventh grade, he won’t remember anything he did at the time in Kumon.

Please do not forget about the payment!!! The fee is unbelievable!! $100 (£55.84) a month?! People work hard for their money and deserve to keep it, not spend it on some phoney learning centre, thinking that it’s helping their poor child! Doing the math, that is a whopping $1200 (£670.09) per year!!! And all that money could have been used for something better.

So, if you disagree with this... with EVERYTHING that I have just stated, tell me.

What good, really is Kumon?

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Cons:
  • None of the work is what is practiced in real schools
  • Not enough free time
  • Unnecessarily big amounts of homework
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

4 comments
Guest

Hi, I work at a Kumon right now, and I can confirm that most of the assistants/teachers are not qualified, at least at my location. I'm in school to become an elementary teacher (not certified yet, won't be for another 2 years, but I am getting there) and I'm by far the most qualified of the teachers.

Teasia Nmi

I think it completely depends which center you go to. At my child’s center - they do teach the kids each concept and then go through and correct mistakes so they have a good sense of what they’ve learned when they leave.

The program also requires that you put in time too as the parent - you need to sit with your child and help with any questions after you grade HW everyday. Our center made that clear from the beginning. Regarding the rest of the review - I’m not quite sure why you signed your kids up if you don’t like their model. The whole point of Kumon is to catch your children up if need be and then pull them ahead of their class so that they are learning concepts above their grade.

The whole point of that is to get them comfortable with the coursework BEFORE they see it in school so that they do better. They straight up tell you that at the orientation before any registration takes place - they say clearly that they are NOT tutors in the the traditional sense. They also make clear before you sign up that students are expected to do work everyday - repetition is why the program works. The homework at our center literally take less than 10 mins everyday and you can request no homework on vacation or birthdays etc no it’s really no stress.

Regarding bullies and kids asking if your child is a nerd because of homework - I’m not sure teaching your child to alter their study habits in order to appease kids that make fun of him/her is the right lesson but hey to each his own.

I completely agree the program is not for everyone but I just don’t think your review is very fair. It’s like they told you to expect oranges and youre mad that you didn’t get apples.

Guest

This actually convinced me. I’m gonna let my daughter quit now, maybe she should just try out Khan Academy or something.

Guest

Very true. I agree with this a lot

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Anonymous
map-marker Point Cook Town Centre, Victoria County

Kumon is a scam

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Kumon is a scam nothing else. They keep children in same level months after months and any time you ask them they will have a excuse to keep them there. Like unless your child can write a 110% perfect "A" we will not teach her "B".

They have given my daughter to write big a and b for four months. While in school he is reading books and writing sentences in school and home.

This is the reply I got "... has difficulty with the sounds of letters which is why she has needed a lot of practice"

Sounds like my daughter is disable ...

We never have any problem in school and she can read beginner level books without any problems.

View full review
Loss:
$490
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Full refund

2 comments
Guest

SOOOOOOOOOO TRUE BRO! THIS *** IS OVE! COME TO MATHNASIUM

Guest

That name sounds obscene.

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Lucrecia Nyg
map-marker North Melbourne, Victoria

Unacceptable

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I signed up for my daughter to start studying there in August. But i found my daughter didn't enjoy the trial class so i informed them on the 28 July that please stop charging me for August tuition fee.

They said No, they can't stop billing my account and they will still process it in a day or two and there will be no refund. So i had no choice but informed the bank that there is an incoming transaction which I am not agree with and please block it when it goes through.

Serious, why do they need to push all the way to get money and make customer unhappy??? I thought that i can try again to see if my daughter enjoy their class in the near future but after this experience, i will not use Kumon ever again and will not recommend them to anyone

View full review
Cons:
  • Unqualified instructors
  • Dishonest center owner
Reason of review:
Return, Exchange or Cancellation Policy
3 comments
Guest

i read the message above about giving notice at the end of the month and not being expected to be charged for next month.

I am nit affiliated with Kumon but am thinking of taking my son there and I had a trial assessment today. it was explained very clearly to us and in the agreement that 30 day notice is required at the beginning of the month.

That is standard and it is the same exact system of cancellation I have for my business a sports club and most other businesses.

so for this person Lana in Australia to whine about about something she agreed to is like some yelp reviews I also have - if you don't agree to a agreement why the heck do you agree with it when you sign it. ridiculous complaint

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1369207

Sadly they didn't tell me about the 30 days policy and simply said it was in the agreement. Honestly who read agreement?

Guest

Kuman is loud and very noisy

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Anonymous
map-marker Melbourne, Victoria

A positive-and negative for Kumon Method

Our 8-9yr old started kumon maths at worksheet '3A' as a grade 3 schoolboy - as I understand it, well below the grade level.

However, starting below grade does pick up where a child has gaps in their learning and our boy worked through the sheets extremely rapidly. 3 Months in and he sitting next to me completing C61-

Does he enjoy it? No.

Is it a bit of a pin to complete everyday? Yes.

But the positives are:

1. Longer attention span

2. Handwriting has improved measurably

3. Simple arithmetic and times tables so much better

After three months he is 'at grade' (and knowing what they are teaching in his school - more like working above grade.

Is it expensive? Yes - and we find it difficult to afford.

Will we send his sister there next year? Yes.

It's not for everyone and poor operators can make the Kumon method awful.

We are lucky that the operator where we are is no-nonsense and very reliable.

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6 comments
Guest

Actually all Kumon instructors are FBI background checked, all the instructors go through extensive training and they all hold a MINIMUM of a bachelor's degrre. Where are your facts about Kumon? You guys know nothing and are basing opinions on gossip.

Guest

Eyelevel is the only Education company that requires all tutors and assitantsto undergo thorough criminal background checks and take medical examinations every 6 months to ensure they are not suffering from any infectious diseases that can be transmitted to students. Kumon doesn't have such strict requirements so students are endangered at Kumon.

Guest

i have just put my son (10 years old) in Kumon. the only reason i chose Kumon is closed by my house.

but, after one week, I realized he was put in the below grade level work which i kind of question why they did that. because the kids will get bored every time when they do the work.

i mention to the instructor about the work is below his grade level and hoping she will adjusted to his level.

but she say this is a warm up exercise! this week he still got the same....

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-942501

I felt the same way with our children at Kumon until I read about the many child molestations and sex crimes happening at Kumon. The molestations were by the Kumon instructors. I quit my children from Kumon before anything bad happens to my children at Kumon center.

Guest

Are you sure your children were studying at Kumon in Melbourne? Having worked for Kumon Australia, its known that there is no centre in the area that is fit to educate children.

So save your fantasy story for another day. Nice try.

Guest

I disagree, Kumon here in Sydney is the worst place you could ever place your child. It is all about money the owners could care less about children needs.

They will be nice say things like we are the Kumon family that could not be farther from the truth if things do not fit in their little world then your child will be left out. The owners and staff at Kumon have no compassion or time for anything. The worksheets they give you are ***, you could make them yourself. Its their way or the highway.

Parents mostly suspect that Kumon is unsafe for children given the abuse and molestation reports.

There is plenty for schools and childcare in Sydney that would love to have our children. Please look for them.

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