Dr. Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952)
Maria Montessori was a truly remarkable, brave and inspirational woman, a trailblazer many years ahead of her time. She became one of the most important early year educators of the 20th century, an innovator of classroom practices and ideas which have had a profound influence on the education of young children the world over.
“The most important period of life is not the age of university studies but the period from birth to the age of six.”Dr. Maria Montessori
Montessori was the first woman in history to graduate from medical school at the University of Rome. She became interested in education whilst treating children with special needs and went on to establish schools for the disadvantaged children of working parents in Rome. This is when her truly remarkable work began. She approached educating children as a scientist and used the classroom as her laboratory to observe children and find the very best way to help them reach their full potential. It was here that she developed what we call the Montessori Method of teaching.
Astonishingly there are now 22,000 Montessori schools worldwide and many non-Montessori schools use elements of her methodology. Maria Montessori died in Holland in 1952 aged 82. She was a true pioneer of child centred education, she was a brave, enlightened and dynamic woman who was years ahead of her time. Her innovative classroom practices and ideas have had a profound influence on the education of young children all over the world.
MCI (Montessori Centre International)
Our own organisation, Montessori Centre International can trace its history back to 1946 when the Montessori St Nicholas Centre was founded to provide teacher training courses in the UK, with the help of Dr Maria Montessori herself. Subsequently the Montessori St Nicholas Centre became her London base.
In 1998 St Nicholas Centre joined forces with another leading international provider of Montessori training; The London Montessori Centre. From the union of these two internationally acclaimed organizations, Montessori Centre International was born. Since then, our students have gone on to teach and change the lives of thousands of children throughout the 22,000 Montessori schools around the globe.
We are wholly owned and backed by the Montessori St Nicholas charity, and our mission is to promote the highest possible standards and to bring the benefits of a Montessori education to children all over the world.
