Home » Working Women » Women from History » Maria Montessori Italian educator Maria Montessori was the originator of an educational system that bears her name. The Montessori system is based on the belief in the child's creative potential, his or her drive to learn and the right to be treated as an individual.

Maria Montessori scorned conventional classrooms where children are fastened each to his or her place. She sought instead to teach children by supplying concrete materials and organising situations conducive to learning with these materials. A large measure of individual initiative and self-direction characterised the Montessori philosophy. Self-education was a keynote of the plan.

The first women to graduate from the University of Rome in 1894, Maria Montessori was appointed the assistant doctor at the Psychiatric clinic of the university. Here she became interested in the educational problems of mentally retarded children. Between 1899 and 1901, she served as the Director of the State Orthopherenic School of Rome, where her methods proved extremely successful. From 1896 to 1906, she held a chair at a women's college in Rome. During these years, she continued her studies on philosophy, psychology and education.

In 1907, Maria Montessori opened the first Casa dei Bambini (children's house) a school for young children from San Lorenzo slum district of Rome applying her method to children of normal intelligence. Her success led to the opening of other Montessori schools. For the next forty years, she travelled throughout Europe, India and the United States lecturing, writing and establishing teacher training programmes.

In 1922, she was appointed the government inspector of schools in Italy, but she left the country in 1934 because of the Fascist rule. After staying for a period in Spain and Sri Lanka, she settled in the Netherlands.