Bridging the Divide: Taking Montessori to Rural SA DSD Conference ICC East London March 2012 Mohamed Amra

OVERVIEW  Why Montessori?  Montessori Movement in SA  Montessori Method  Montessori Materials  Bridging the Divide taking Montessori to rural sites. – Photo presentation - Video ?  Conclusion

MONTESSORI MOVEMENT IN SA  1 st contact in SA 1923 – little or no movement  Re-introduced late 1970’s slow growth until 1990s  Montessori pre schools found in various parts of S.A.  There are Montessori schools in S.A. excl PS  Other Montessori schools in Africa exist in Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Namibia …….  Montessori is more dominant amongst the affluent middle class communities. Very few exist in the poorer areas.

WHY THE MONTESSORI METHOD?  Maria Montessori 1 st woman physician in Itlay  Opened child care centre and observed that children learn best in a home-like setting where they can experiment with appropriate materials developing into independent, self-motivated learners.  Developed her philosophy which soon spread thro’ out the world  Unfortunately in the developed world it became a preserve of the rich altho’ it started in the slums of Rome  This philosophy is for ALL children of All communities

THE MONTESSORI METHOD  Montessori – ‘our senses are explorers of the world, opening the way of knowledge’  This philosophy is for ALL children of All communities  ‘Whole Child’  “Prepared Environment’  ‘Montessori materials’  ‘Montessori teachers ’

THE ‘WHOLE CHILD’  The “whole child ” approach under the direction of a specially prepared teacher, allows the child to experience the joy of learning ensuring the development of self-esteem. THE PREPARED ENVIRONMENT The “prepared environment ” in which the teacher provides resources, provides opportunities for children to function in a safe and positive climate. The teacher thus gains the children's trust, which enables them to explore and build self-confidence.

MONTESSORI MATERIALS  The many multisensory, sequential and self- correcting Montessori materials utilised facilitate the child's skills and leads to the learning of abstract ideas THE MONTESSORI TEACHER or “Directress” is the designer of the children’s environment, resource person, role model, demonstrator, record-keeper, and a meticulous observer of each child's behaviour and growth.

MONTESSORI IN SA  Montessori bears a stigma as its associated with the rich middle class communities.  Very few if any in the poorer areas  1 st barrier is the impression created that the resources very expensive - inaccessible to poor communities.  2 nd limitation lack of trained Montessori educators.  A serious indictment on Montessori community - failed to spread this philosophy to other less advantaged areas.  These obstacles limit the expansion of the Montessori philosophy into the rural communities of SA.  Wkids & CN deliver a quality ECD programme using such materials even to the most remote rural areas.

ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN CHILDHOOD NETWORK W CapeLimpopo KZN & Gauteng E Cape

ECD LOGO Curriculum  The Learning Project piloted in 1997 with Wits  The Curriculum re written for SA context  Retained Core component of Montessori  Centre of Curriculum -World Change & Healing  In 1997 WonderKids ‘Franchise’

WORLD PEACE CURRICULUM RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER WORLD PEACE CORE OF MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY Respe ct Responsibili ty ReflectionReflection

CHILDHOOD NETWORK TAKES MONTESSORI TO DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES  The 4 members of CN are just one of the few groups involved in taking Montessori to the poorer communities  The CN has produced a curriculum which has maintained the core Montessori philosophy and added a component on the SA context and a healing component.  The members are involved in training ECD educators with a focus on disadvantaged communities.

MONTESSORI MATERIALS  MM said ‘ The hand is the instrument of the mind ’ if a child is given ‘materials’ to play-learn from will be sufficiently stimulated both physically and cognitively.  The challenge is huge shortage of ECD resources in the classroom particularly in rural areas.  Simple ‘materials’ introduced in at these ECD sites in rural classes in KZN that have transformed a once bare classroom with no or very meager resources, to a rich and stimulating environment at minimal costs.  Materials made from waste, recyclable material

PHOTO & VIDEO PRESENTATION  Photos not included in this presentation

Making Resources

Ground Rules

Work

Life Orientation

Literacy

Numeracy

Sensorial

Art

Culture

Educators Attitude

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE  With this success we calling for the introduction of very simple ‘Montessori’ based activities that can be applied generically by any ECD educator with basic training in any ECD site without it being Montessori based and not even using the word Montessori.  In this way ‘Bridging the Divide’.  WonderKids has certainly changed the face of these rural ECD sites and the grade Rs in public schools where such material is being used for the first time in SA, and how children have taken to these materials

Bridging the Divide: We have Taken Montessori to Rural Communities in South Africa

THANK YOU