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Helping People to "Well-being" - Benesse's Education Businesses
Benesse's corporate philosophy is based on the idea of helping each individual to 'well-being,' and the Group's education business lies at the heart of our efforts to achieve this goal. Under the Group's new business structure, Benesse is working to strengthen its education-related businesses, including both correspondence courses and businesses aimed at schools.
In the correspondence course business, Benesse has developed two main product segments - the Kodomo Challenge series of courses aimed at young children, and Shinkenzemi courses for students in each grade from primary school through high school. The Company maintains a dominant position in the market for correspondence courses, throughout Japan. In addition to traditional, "paper-based" correspondence course materials, Benesse has developed the revolutionary new "+i" series of correspondence courses which use internet-based instructional materials as well. The Company has already launched courses for junior high school students, and intends to continue making revisions to its products and business model to adapt to a changing society.
In the Company's businesses aimed at schools, Benesse has developed products such as Shinken Simulated Exams (tests that simulate university entrance exams) and Study Support, which helps students plan their educational path.In the future, the Company will take steps to reach an even higher percentage of students, and try to foster a desire among young people to improve themselves, by helping them to enjoy their studies and take pride in their sense of accomplishment.
Overseas Expansion and Developing New Products and Services
Benesse is pursuing opportunities in markets that can expect growth over the medium-to-long term. For example, it is making an effort to expand its overseas operations and is moving into the field of language education and international education, on a full scale. From 2011, Japan will introduce compulsory English language courses at the elementary school level. This, and the steadily increasing importance of internationalization, has prompted Benesse to develop new products and services which will help children begin learning English at a very young age, and help older children to develop the skills and mindset needed to function effectively in an international environment.
In the overseas education business domain, starting with the launch of correspondence courses for infants in Taiwan in 1989, Benesse has been promoting business in Taiwan, South Korea, and mainland China. Although there are national differences in culture and education systems, the intellectual curiosity of children is universal. While forging relationships of trust with overseas customers, the Company has developed the know-how accumulated in Japan through the Kodomo Challenge courses into a well-supported overseas business. In particular our overseas business in China, which was launched in 2006, now has about 220,000 subscribers (as of April 2010).Benesse will continue to cross national borders to support the well-being of the world's children through education.
Diversifying Benesse's Education-related Business
Finally, to address the increasingly diverse educational needs of young people, and to offer broader support to students so that they can take greater enjoyment in their studies, Benesse has begun to develop a network of prep schools (juku). Since 2006, the Company has acquired Ochanomizu Seminar Co., Ltd., Tokyo Individualized Educational Institute, Inc., and Tetsuryokukai. These new Group subsidiaries have helped Benesse to diversify its education business. By consolidating the know-how derived from both our traditional education business and these new prep school operations, the Company hopes to develop greater synergy in its education business and improve the quality of its educational products and services.
Whatever the environment, the motivation to learn and the act of learning cultivate the next age and create the future. Aiming for a future filled with hope, Benesse will continue to support the basic desire of all people to improve themselves.
