The Ultimate Montessori Blog

The Indian Montessori Centre and the Hindu Seva Pratishtaana established a Montessori House of Children called Maadhurya in a weavers colony called Nele on Banerghatta Road, Bangalore in 2006. Maadhurya was set up with the intention of making available the Montessori Method of education available to the economically backward sections of the society of this area. The Indian Montessori Centre strongly believes that the Montessori Method of Education is not the domain of the affluent only. In fact, in the long term the Montessori Method of education is just as expensive as conventional education and generally more effective and humane.

Maadhurya has been well received by the people of this area. The Indian Montessori Centre and the Hindu Seva Pratishtaana is thankful to the Montessori Community which helped in the setting up of this House of Children by making generous contributions.

Developments at the Maadhurya House of Children

If the child enjoys so much freedom of movement and freedom of choice in a Montessori House of Children, don’t you think this would make him difficult to manage at home as he would like to do things on his own even at home and thereby come in the way of adults?

It is true that it will not be possible to create conditions at home to provide as much freedom of movement and choice for the child as it is done in a Montessori House of Children. This is one of the reasons why the child should get the opportunity of living in the House of Children for a part of the day.

At the same time, let us also not forget that the freedom he enjoys here is not unlimited. It will necessarily and naturally be limited by the needs of the other 30-35 children who are also living here and who also have the same rights to freedom as he has. The other children help him realize soon enough that he cannot enjoy his freedom without at the same time respecting the rights of others to enjoy similar freedom.

Besides, various interesting developmental activities related to social behaviour are presented to him. These also help him to show due consideration towards the rights of others living with him.

Even the freedom with regard to the choice of activities, as we saw, has certain limits. Because he is free to choose to perform an activity only from among those activities that have been presented to him and on condition that the material for that activity be found in its place-which means that he cannot just take away something from somebody who has chosen it earlier but must wait till it is kept back in its place before taking for his activity.

So, we need not be afraid that as a result of enjoying freedom in the House of Children, he will assert his freedom unreasonably at home. This has been amply proved in homes understanding the child and familiar with the Montessori Method which is indeed applicable in the home as well. We must however admit that he does need more opportunities and help that is usually available to “do things on his own” even at home and first of all at home. If he gets these opportunities and help, his “doing things on his own” need not come in the way of adults at all.

In Montessori Houses of Children the work is chosen by the pupil himself. The pupil seeks the work which interests him most and, therefore, ends up doing the work which is most agreeable to him. How can such a preparation fit him to take his place in social life where duty imposes tasks not always pleasant, in fact often quite contrary to the personal taste?

He who struggles, overcoming difficulties though his task my not be a pleasant one, or, in other words, he who sacrifices himself must, above all, be strong. This question, therefore, presupposes a condition which is of fundamental importance: “sine qua non” - to be strong. The spontaneous exercises which the little children do in our schools, choosing the work which they like and remaining absorbed in it for a long time, in an atmosphere of calm, fortify them, and in this way they are, although indirectly, preparing themselves for the unpleasant eventualities of their future social life. In the same way, the child who is nourished during the first year of his life on milk alone is thus preparing to be able to eat different kinds of food later on. If infants’ nourishment has been such as to permit a healthy and robust physical development, then the grown man will be strong enough to digest heavy food, but not if he has been fed on heavy and unsuitable food as a child.

He who has acquired perfect equilibrium of his body can bend to the right and to the left, and take difficult steps withouf falling. The acquisition of equilibrium, therefore, is a necessary preparation for difficult movements. The same is true with regard to the psychic life. The child who does spontaneous exercises which lead to a healthy mental equilibrium will be able to adapt himself without losing his own individuality. Is it through illness and disease that we prepare ourselves to be strong? Did heroes prepare themselves gradually for acts of heroism from childhood on? NO - their life is one great incognito as regards the future. That which must be prepared through the present is strength, equilibrium and health. Those children who have gained inner strength in their work, and by exercising themselves, as men will be better able than we to adapt themselves to an effort which they do not find pleasant.