Everyone has a strong opinion about Montessori schools. Some worship them while others have turned back, criticizing them for their cost, their laxity and mixed results. Behind this pedagogy, we find Maria Montessori, doctor of medicine, psychiatrist, anthropologist, socialist activist and feminist at the beginning of the 20th century.
Celebrated in the film The New Woman, by Léa Todorov with Jasmine Trinca, Leïla Bekhti, released in mid-March, it is once again dedicated to the month of June. On the stage this time. The room Montessori directed by Charles Berling at Châteauvallon-Liberté theater, in Toulon, carries the voice and thoughts of this teacher, considered a precursor. The opportunity to shine the spotlight on this alternative education. Nadia Hamidi, president of the Montessori Association of France (AMF)responds to criticism from readers of 20 minutes.
“My daughters attended a baby Montessori crèche, the childcare workers were adorable, but the equipment and activities were no different from traditional crèches. She was Montessori only in name”
“Obviously, there are abuses since the Montessori name is not protected. Today, everyone can ride the marketing wave, I open a Montessori school or structure. We already have the charter. We organize visits to schools so that they can be signatories to this charter, but it is not as strong as a label. There are more and more Montessori structures being created, beautiful structures and structures that are a little less rigorous. It’s not just about protecting the Montessori name, it’s more about protecting the children. »
“After a few months in a Montessori school, my son dropped out. He spent his time sweeping the classroom or doing punching. We put him back in a public school in CP and he adapted quickly. Some of his former comrades had more difficulty because they did not know how to read or write their first name. »
“In kindergarten, they learn to sweep, sew, iron. Each child has their own rhythm and their own needs, perhaps these children were not ready to start reading. Or maybe it’s not a good Montessori school. Parents are sometimes left waiting because they pay, but we follow the child. If he’s not ready, we’re not going to brainwash him. On the other hand, we are a school, the child must have at least the level of the traditional system, it is a duty. I say at least because the material goes very far. Many children have learning difficulties, and the material will help them move from concrete to abstract. It is a material thanks to which the child can find his place and develop his skills. We support each child in developing their potential to ensure that they are happy and fulfilled, that they always want to learn and that they maintain their self-confidence and self-esteem. »
“This pedagogy is not magic, it requires investment from parents. This can lead to disappointments for parents who expect the school to take care of all aspects of education. »
“Education does not stop at school, it is education for life. It is important to be in cohesion and collaboration with the parent. During the holidays, it is important that the children continue to work, to maintain an educational connection. For the little ones, if the child is learning to put his Velcro shoes on, I will tell the parents: “It would be good if he had sneakers with Velcro rather than laces because he is developing his psychomotor skills and his autonomy. It’s good to try to connect it to things he’s learning at school. In a Montessori school, we educate the child in all his acquisitions, whether at the psychomotor, social and intellectual level. »
“I am an elementary school teacher and the children who arrive in my class and who leave these schools have much more difficulty adapting to the traditional school system. »
“I’m not going to tell you it’s not difficult. Obviously, when we meet the needs of the child and his natural development, for example, to move and move around in a classroom. From one day to the next, the child finds himself in a class where he is forbidden to move, it could be a little complicated for him. And again, it depends on the children. If we have prepared him well to go into a traditional system, he will not have any great difficulty adapting. What will be more complicated, especially for older children, is that we ask them less for their opinion. They attend a masterful lesson. In social relations, for them, it is less interesting. But from a cognitive and intellectual point of view, they have been very well nourished, they will have less work at home to understand the concepts, the learning. Normally it’s a gain when you leave Montessori. »
“I find that pedagogy does not justify the exorbitant prices charged by these structures. »
“If schools are expensive, it’s because we don’t have help. It’s not about filling your pockets. As president of the Montessori Association of France (AMF), my dream would be to be able to offer Montessori to all children and to support teachers in putting Montessori in their classroom. But we won’t be able to do it without state aid. Some schools try to do it according to the family coefficient, it is a solidarity mode where the parents in return help the school, as a result, the tuition fees are lower. »