Maria Montessori's Education

There is one issue that weighs heavily on the mind of every parent and that is the issue of their child’s education. Education plays a major component of how a society runs, proceeds into the future, and a pioneer of today’s educational system of young children was Dr. Maria Montessori. Maria Montessori shattered glass ceilings and became a world- renowned pioneer for women, children, and the educational system throughout the world. Dr. Maria Montessori was a child of Italy, as this is where her humble beginnings began. Prior to her birth in 1870, which happens to be the same year that Italy became a single united nation, the nation faced tremendous challenges. Italy faced challenges, such as a high population which lived and suffered from

Life in Italy, included an absence of civil liberties, free press, and the school system were attended by a small minority of children and the school system was severely behind the times. Society was divided between the rich and the poor and even with the unification of Italy, most people’s lives did not change. There was also a battle between the Catholic church and the liberals during this time, “there was the perpetual church-state conflict between the Catholics and atheistic liberals of who would control the education and therefore the minds of the young.” The Catholic church made it impossible for a majority of people to get involved in the political scene, and therefore they had no rights to vote until well into the twentieth century. In the 1870’s, political party lines dropped and the liberals and the conservatives established a program named, transformismo, which resulted in people gaining their rights to vote, gaining civil liberties, and an improved and structured public-school system. A turning point in the educational system in Italy was the actions taken by Prime Minister Cavour. Prime Minister Cavour built many schools that were under state control and segregated from the Catholic

This new system was opened to children of both sexes in all the Italian Kingdom’s communities, Although, this new law was put in place enforcement was at subpar levels. The new educational system was comprised of a primary school that was to be attended by all children under the age of 10, then the educational system split into two branches. The two branches consisted of the first branch, known as, “classical,” which was five years of junior high school, followed by three years of high school which promoted and prepared students for the university coursework. The second branch of instruction included seven years of technical and scientific education. Female education during this time was a private family and church matter. With this school system in place, females still attended private Catholic schools, while males attended public schools. All these factors played a role in the life and legacy of Dr. Maria Montessori. Dr. Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle, located in a province of Ancona, Italy on August 31, 1870. Dr. Maria Montessori was born in a town which had a mixture of new and old customs and values. She was a child that experienced life from an old town that looked over new trade towns that was “modern and happening.” Dr. Maria Montessori was born to Alessandro Montessori, whom was a soldier