"The greatest crime that society is committing is that of wasting money it should spend for its children, of dissipating it to destroy them and itself. When wasteful society has urgent need of money, it takes from the schools and especially the infant schools that shelter the seeds of human life.

This is humanity's worst crime and greatest error."

Maria Montessori 1936

Dr. Maria Montessori - A Brief History

'The education of even a very small child, does not aim at preparing him/her for school, but for life!'

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was born in Chiaravalle, Ancona, Italy. She overcame many hurdles to become the first woman in Italy to take the Degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1896. She initially worked with intellectually disadvantaged children. Through her work with these children and her observations of them, Montessori realised the importance of providing children with the right conditions necessary for their growth and development. These conditions could be met in an environment, which responds to the child's natural way of learning, an interactive environment that encourages exploration and discovery. She founded the first Montessori school in Rome in 1907.

Montessori placed observation of children central to her approach to education ensuring individualised instruction based on children's needs. Montessori's method of education is based on an intuitive as well as a rational understanding of children's cognitive growth and development.

Children have an unrivalled love of learning, and a natural tendency to be independent self-motivated and self-disciplined. They learn best when given the opportunity to explore in an appropriately prepared environment.

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand,
 and still less to force him/her to memorise,
 but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core"

Maria Montessori