Why Montessori?
When you step into a Montessori preschool, you are greeted by a sense of calm. You will see children deeply engaged in activities that capture their focus and concentration. Open shelves hold attractive materials arranged in a way that allows children to freely access them at any time and work with them independently, without adult assistance.
They can choose what they want to work with, whom they want to work with, and where they want to work. They can eat, drink, use the restroom, or rest whenever they need to. This helps them become attuned to their own bodies and needs.
This freedom is paired with the responsibility to follow certain rules to ensure the system works effectively.ysě
In a Montessori classroom, everything is designed according to the principles of Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor and educator who, based on scientific observation of children, created an environment tailored to their developmental needs. In a Montessori preschool, teachers undergo intensive training and know how to present materials to children in a way that enables them to work independently. Each material incorporates an element of error control, allowing children to learn from their mistakes.
Children in Montessori schools are encouraged to engage in activities and are guided toward freedom and responsibility, preparing them for life in a democracy.
The question arises: what do children learn in traditional schools, where they sit at desks all day and passively listen to a teacher’s lecture, which they may not even find interesting? They learn that the most important thing is to obey authority. They learn not to stand out and to focus on what is expected of them rather than channeling their energy into their own talents and gifts. When children are guided in this direction, it’s worth imagining the kind of adults they will grow up to be.
It’s been 35 years since communism ended here, and while people’s mindset is slowly changing, our education system remains the same. Children still sit for long hours at desks, passively listening. They are still graded with marks that are too general and fail to motivate them to learn. Instead, these grades foster competitiveness and rivalry.
The current education system does not teach children to love learning. It teaches them to quickly push through compulsory learning and then enter the workforce, where they will once again follow orders. In essence, the current education system is designed to produce employees.
The question is, where do we want to lead our children, and what kind of individuals do we want to raise?
