1. Democracy in the Montessori Curriculum
Citizens of Courage
Democracy
in the
Montessori
Curriculum
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

2. Democracy means more than:
≥ Elections
≥ Voting
≥ Leaders
≥ Students Council
≥ Mock Parliaments
Any other associations ? ? ?
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

3. Democracy means =
≈ Participation ≈ Responsibility ≈ Choice ≈ Leadership ≈ A democratic culture ≈ A structure to reflect the above
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

4. Democracy in classroom and outside
Participation - individual, group, collective
Responsibility – of working, of interaction, of influencing, of conflict resolution
Choice - of materials, activities, location
Teacher – not authoritarian, a facilitator
Culture - variety, diversity, flexibility –
not sameness
Culture also means Feeling right, successful, rigour & appreciation of all sub-systems
Peace…calmness, confidence, clarity
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

5. I can influence… Participation & Respect Individual Group Collective
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

6. Achievement by Gender, Location and Community - Class IV
Mean achievement of children improved significantly in all groups and in all subjects
Maximum improvement observed among SC/ST and MBC children in all three subjects
Groups
Tamil
Mathematics
English
Baseline
End term
Boys
34.99
61.23
36.65
65.81
26.07
51.60
Girls
38.45
66.25
39.14
60.97
28.20
52.99
Rural
35.67
63.01
37.06
63.58
26.36
53.24
Urban
41.13
65.06
42.70
58.32
31.29
44.16
SC/ST
33.60
61.01
36.38
60.75
25.60
50.28
MBC
33.20
62.18
37.07
62.11
24.12
49.95 BC
43.47
66.51
40.33
66.43
31.92
57.62 OC
46.15
68.67
50.57
47.80
34.88
47.00
 Significantly improved;  no improvement: ABL Base Year Study 2008

7. Constitution of the Nation
Systemic Structures
Pedagogy
School Culture
Child’s Potential
Classroom
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

8. Constitution of the Nation
Not scattered…
Child’s Potential
Classroom
Constitution of the Nation
School Culture
Democracy
Pedagogy
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

9. Constitution of the Nation
Systemic Structures
Pedagogy
School Culture
Child’s Potential
Classroom
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

10. Changed Culture: classrooms
Movement in the class
No heavy benches, no rigid seating
Children not being pinned down
Materials are in the class
Textbooks, workbooks reformatted
Discussion, decision-making
Respectful to one another
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

11. Changed Culture: children
Talking, moving, freedom in the class
Not fearful of visitors
Not waiting for teacher, sitting quietly
A naturalness in talking, discussing
Confident
Hungry to learn, thirsty to know
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

12. Changed Culture: teachers
Teachers not rigid and stiff
Kinder to children
An acceptance of children being active
Spontaneity in children not stifled
Using materials, activity, interacting
Open for discussion
Debate of current issues possible
‘Responsibility is ours’
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2015

13. Links to Community
Involvement in the school Casual visits Observation Attend meetings Feedback to school Panchayat discussions
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

14. Challenges: Teacher’s Role
Training and quality of program link?
Notion of a child?
Notion of learning?
Notion of teacher’s role?
Planning for individual learning
Planning for group work
Tracking & assessment
Involvement of parents, community
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

15. Challenges: Systemic
Training to be based on participatory learning, on androgogy
Acceptance of innovation as a means for bringing about change; 80/20
To move to quality of learning for the teacher and the learner
Orientation of support systems: BRCs & administrative
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

16. Challenges: Learning Consumers or constructors? Active Engaged
Involved
Absorbed
Focused, Concentrating
Enquiring, Exploring, Discovering
Conceptual Clarity, Reflective
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016

17. Path forward………..for Equity
Sustainability of quality
over
s p a c e & t i m e
p e a c e & h a p p i n e s s
©Amukta Mahapatra SchoolScape
centre for educators
Amukta Mahapatra
SchoolScape Feb 2016