MONTESSORI SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1923, Page 24

MONTESSORI SYSTEM

AUSTRALIAN EDUCATIONAL

METHODS

ENGLAND AND THE COMMONWEALTH COMPARED.

In a recent letter from the London correspondent of the " ArgU9," reference was made to the Montessori system, the writer stating that it is the latest idea in the advancing educational wave. This letter had evidently been read by many people, who are only indirectly interested in educational topics, for I have been frequently asked what was meant by the system, writes F. G. Atchison in the Melbourne " Argus." It is a common practice for an ardent educationist who wishes to get the ear of tha public to dress 1 up a collection of old ideas, give them a high-sounding name, state that they originated in England or America, and to delude the public into the idea that they are getting some new and original scheme.

During my inquiries in England I was frequently called on id say something about education from an Australian viewpoint, and I was able to point out many advantages which our system here had over English systems. I did not give our systems any particular name; but had I done so I have no doubt that I would have been more impressive. If I were to take only one system, and thaE the organisation of the Melbourne High School, with its democratic basis, and the plan working throughout that every student, teacher, and the principal share ir. its government, and help to' formulate its rules, and show the close touch that the principal has on every detail of the school* and call this by some name, say the Hocking method, how more effective that would be. The point I wish to pake is that we hive a system of education here that compares more .favourably than most people think with 'anything I saw.in England. ' There is a certain amount of originality about the Montessori'system, since it emanated from the mind of a woman as a systematic conception of the practical application of education of the child as a whole—the • all-round development of its faculties. Dr. Montessori opened her school in , Rome. Her main idea was to have the school life as little different as possible from the home life in its absence of restraints from the natural bent of the child. She had an airy set of schoolrooms, surrounded by a beautiful garden. The whole setting was that of a beautifully ordered home. Her object was to train the young student by the exercise of its own faculties by doing things, feeling things, and generally working out their ideas by concrete and not abstract examples. Perhaps it would make it clearer if I described the actual working of a Montessori school which I visited near London. The children, whose ages ranged from about three to eight years, were grouped into five classes. The classification of these children was done on the Binet system, that is, by means of a series of oral tests. It is, of course, well recognised now that children of the same age are not necessarily of the same menMil growth. The classrooms were cosily furnished, and had a home-like appearance. Each student was at perfect liberty to engage in whatever task that it wished, under, of course, the guiding hand of the teacher. On a table was a quantity of working apparatus which would be useful for number work, alpha-' bet construction, reading, drawing, arid other topics. A student would walk out and get the apparatus necessary for its own task. The teacher quietly moved, about and directed the work of the pupils. Occasionally she would give a demonstration herself, showing how to obviate mistakes already noticed, or for a basis for new work.

In the top grade the pupils were doing 3ome excellent constructive work in composition and drawing, whilst others were solving practically fairly advanced problems in arithmetic. The playground was fitted up with quite a; collection of articles to develop the play instinct", and gave plenty of scopo for muscular development. The noticeable thing about the whole scheme -was that, whilst they are apparently enjoying themselves, they ar< following educational lines, and developing their faculties. A dressing-room and bathrooms were attached to th» school, and personal hygiene was carefully attended to. Many of the lessons took-place in a garden attached, where the interest was heightened by the fact that most of the garden was the work 01 the pupils. There were many other points about the school that differed from an ordinary type school] but the main theme was to learn by doing, seeing, and feeling! • This system has been worked out in various parts of Italy, but I should not regard it as good for general application. Many of its practical ideas can be incorporated into our own system. It is, however, a splendid system for mentally defective and sub-normal children, and every suburb should hav| a school set apart where children whose mental health would be seriously impaired at a normal State school could receive an education, along Monteswri lines.