About Hope of Glory Montessori Centre

Our Inspiration

Dr. Maria MOntessori was one of the most influential pioneers in early childhood eduvation during her time (1870 - 1952). Her ideas have become known and recognized throughout the world and have significantly influenced mainstream education.

Her original interest was medicine, not teaching. She was the first woman to graduate from the university of Rome Medical School and she only became interested in education when she worked as a medical doctor, treating what are known today as children with "special needs". Because of her medical background she approache education not as an educator or a philosopher, but as a scientist. She used the classroom as her laboratory for observing children and for developing her ideaas about the best ways of helping them achieve their full potential.

Dr. Montessori put her ideas into practice, retaining and developing those that obviously worked. So great was her success that she travelled the world, establishing schools and lecturing about her discoveries. She wrote numerous books and many articles. she died in Holland in 1952 at the age of 82.

The legacy she left the world was a method of education which combines a proven philosophy with a practical approach. Its central idea provides freedom for the child within carefully planned and structured environmnet. Montessori advocated that all children are intrinsically motivated to learn and that they absorb knowledge without effort when provided with the right kind of activities at the right time of their development.

The Montessori Method is not solely appropriate for the age group which it is best known, that is for children from birth to six yearsof age. The philosophy and Montessori teaching apparatus can be used with children up to the age of twelve years and well beyond.