The notion that a child is incapable of making decisions is the basis on which schools function. The concept of freedom itself remains largely alien to children.
But the Montessori system of education bases its method on the idea that children should be free and are capable of making decisions.
The fourth national conference on Montessori education got under way in the city on Friday.
The theme of the two-day event, organised by the Indian Montessori Foundation, is ‘Swayam: Independent Thought, Independent Action.”
Book launch
The conference was inaugurated with a book launch. N. Ravi, publisher of The Hindu, who launched the book, Release of Foundation of Montessori Pedagogy , a collection of essays by A.M. Joosten, recalled how the newspaper had covered Maria Montessori, her work and her visits to India.
The conference was relevant when a new education policy is on the anvil and when the education system in the country is in a flux, he said.
As teachers, issues such as how some students were more talented than others may resonate with them. But in Montessori system, the role of the teacher was in guiding the children. The teachers were architects, who put the concept of freedom for the child at the core of teaching, he said.
