Montessori education in India has grown in popularity since

Maria Montessori Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori ( , ; August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952) was an Italian physician and educator best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name, and her writing on scientific pedagogy. At an early age, Montessori e ...

, founder of the

Montessori method The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

, was forced to stay in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, from 1939–1946.

History

Prior to

's arrival in India,

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

and

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

were aware of her pedagogical method. By 1929, Tagore had founded many "Tagore-Montessori" schools in India (including at

Shantiniketan Santiniketan is a neighbourhood of Bolpur town in the Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in West Bengal, India, approximately 152 km north of Kolkata. It was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, and later expanded by his s ...

), and Indian interest in Montessori education was strongly represented at the International Congress in 1929. Montessori's work in India began with her arrival there in 1939. Montessori education was established in India in the form of preschools and schools that are now affiliated with Association Montessori Internationale. Maria Montessori was responsible for the creation of a teacher training centre in the neighbourhood of Adyar, Madras (present-day Chennai). Her work continued on in India through her designated representatives, Albert M. Joosten and S. R. Swamy, before spreading further. In 1939, George Arundale and Rukmini Devi Arundale, leaders of the

Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...

, extended an invitation to the 69-year-old Montessori. She accepted the invitation and reached India the same year. She made

Adyar, Chennai Adyar is a large neighbourhood in south Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located on the southern banks of the Adyar River. It is surrounded by the Tharamani in the West, Thiruvanmiyur to the South, Besant Nagar in the East, Kotturpuram in ...

her home and lived there along with her son, Mario M. Montessori. The Montessorians, Gool Minwala, Tehmina Wadia and Khurshed Taraporewala were students in the first training at Adyar. In 1940, when India entered

, Montessori and her son were interned as

enemy alien In customary international law, an enemy alien is any native, citizen, denizen or subject of any foreign nation or government with which a domestic nation or government is in conflict and who is liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured and ...

s in India, but despite this Maria was allowed to conduct training courses. Sixteen courses were conducted during this time, creating a very strong base for the method. She also had her own school in

Kodaikanal Kodaikanal () is a hill station which is located in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long ...

for this duration. In 1947, she went back to Europe for a brief period. Montessori returned to India for a second time the same year to conduct a few more courses in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

, Ahmedabad and

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

. The Montessoris then returned to Europe, leaving

Albert Max Joosten Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

as their representative in India. Maria Montessori died in 1952 in Holland at the age of 81.

Modern day Montessori education in India

Unlike many Montessori learning centers, schools in India do not always abide by the mixed age group procedure. This method allows older children to assist in guiding the younger children in their groups. Groups are based upon interest and experiences rather than the capability or skill of a student. In an essay from 1996, Carolyn Cottom notes that the school's objective is to prepare its students for the complex issues of society that occur at the global level. Students are taken to visit the various places of worship in India. They are also taught about peace education; students learn that ' the Golden Rule' is a concept that is often taught across all world religions. Furthermore, the teacher's role is not only to teach subjects to students but to act as a mentor in the child's spiritual journey.

References

{{Reflist Education in India