Do You Have Montessori's Courage?
A Call to Action on International Day of Peace
In 1934, Maria Montessori fled Italy due to political persecution and surveillance by Mussolini’s government.
The reason?
She refused to have teachers in her Montessori schools take his fascist loyalty oath.
Montessori’s moral compass was clear: education as an aid to life must be liberatory, not oppressive or authoritarian. The school environments she was developing were the opposite of the fascist regime that had formed around her.
On this International Day of Peace, whether you are a Montessorian or not, we call on you to embody Montessori’s courage.
This is a really important one- please take a few minutes to read this fully.
Over nearly the last three years, we have seen a genocide live-streamed from Gaza. We have seen American taxpayer dollars fund bombs that decimate innocent families and communities. We have seen the UN officially declare a genocide in Gaza, the destruction of every Gazan university, and we have seen the systematic and forced starvation of children and adults at the hands of the state of Israel.
This genocide had many Montessorians wondering: What would Maria do?
Would she stay silent because it’s a “political issue”?
Would she stay silent because it’s not “her kids/her country”?
To me, the answer is clear:
NO!
In her appendices in From Childhood to Adolescence, Montessori wrote that “society has not only developed into a state of utmost complication and extreme contrasts, but it has now come to a crisis in which the peace of the world and civilization itself are threatened. The crisis is certainly connected with the immense progress that has been made in science and its practical applications, but it has not been caused by them. More than to anything else it is due to the fact that the development of humans has not kept pace with that of our external environment.”
Sadly, that sounds like it could have been written today.
However, that doesn’t mean we should despair. It means we must look to young people so that they can show us a new way- a higher morality than we currently know.
Montessori wrote that, “I am certain that it is but an illusion to believe that by teaching certain principles the world will be better… Our task is to give help to the child and watch for what they will reveal to us.” Young people around the world have been shouting to us adults that the genocide in Gaza is wrong; that starving children and destroying all of the universities in Gaza is wrong; that not recognizing Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination is wrong. As Montessorians, we have a moral obligation to follow the child to new levels of morality and interdependence.
So, on this International Day of Peace, I invite you to sign on to the statement below, spearheaded by Ayize Sabater and myself. This is not the end, but the beginning. It’s about raising our voices in defense of all children around the world. It’s leaning into Montessori’s revolutionary courage when the world needs it most.
Because if we’re not leaning into Montessori’s revolutionary courage, then why are we in this work?
You can find the document and sign here:
You can also find my reflections on student protests against this genocide here:
And if you want to hear some key voices talk about why Montessori is revolutionary and liberatory pedagogy, you might enjoy these podcasts:
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If you haven't yet signed up to join an Oct. 18 No Kings Rally, do it today!! If you haven't unsubscribed from all ABC and Disney platforms do it today. If you can, donate to Save the Children. And if you work with young learners, or adult learners, guide them to a true understanding and practice of community cohesion, social justice, mindfulness, and peace. And do it at every age you teach to! Reflection and discard your biases and be brave, yes, like Dr. Montessori. Thank you to Breaking the Paradigm and creating a community for us to interact in belonging and solidarity.
Thank you for this wonderful reminder!