Important questions to have a better understanding of the school
Montessori education is commonly associated with the pre-school age, as the Method was first developed in this group. Montessori education goes in cycles; birth to 18 months, 18 months to 3 years, 3 – 6 years, 6 – 9 years, 12 – 15 years etc. These cycles follow the planes of development.
At Akwi Montessori School, we admit toddlers at 2½years, the Montessori Nursery (3 – 6 years) and Elementary (6 to 12 years).
The differences will depend on the age group but two are likely to stand out whatever the age.
First it may be hard at first to spot the adults as they seek to be a discreet presence, spending much time closely observing the children rather than being the focus of the children’s attention. In Montessori education children choose what they learn and teach themselves using the materials designed for this purpose, in contrast to traditional education where the work is chosen by the adult and taught to the child.
Secondly the independence shown by the children whether it be a 3 year old selecting her own activity, working with and putting it away on her own, or an 8-year old planning his own research trip to the museum.
Dr Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870. She was the first woman to qualify in Italy as a doctor. Her early work centred on women’s rights and social reform and evolved to encompass a radically innovative approach to education.
In 1907 in St Lorenzo in Italy the first “Casa dei Bambini”, was opened by Dr Maria Montessori. This first Montessori school was for children from a working class background, these were certainly not children of the rich. Dr Montessori worked hard and made several important observations, the most striking was that children from deprived backgrounds could excel to their full potential in a nurturing environment.
AMS offers Montessori education at the Nursery and Primary (Elementary) levels. Children typically begin in the nursery and progress through Lower and Upper Elementary. Children may be admitted from traditional schools after an assessment to match them to the corresponding level.
AMS trains children to adapt in Cameroon if they choose to remain in the country. The current education system in Cameroon relies heavily on examinations to ascertain the child’s level of academic achievement. It is therefore necessary for the children at AMS to sit examinations at school in order to prepare for their future experiences.
Montessori said that competition is good only when the children have gained confidence. At 5/6 years, the children sit their first assessments. They do not have to prepare for these assessments because working comes naturally to them. Those within the square group complete worksheets presenting work in all subject areas, the outcome of the child’s work is presented to the parents.
In Elementary school the students may spend 3 years (6 – 9yrs) and may qualify to sit the Cameroonian national examinations (Government Common Entrance and First School Leaving Certificate). AMS is responsible for preparing candidates who qualify to sit these evaluations in order to move onto Cameroonian Secondary Schools.
Montessori children are very knowledgeable and would benefit more if their parents and adults around them dedicate time to interact with them at all levels. Parents are encouraged to engage with the school staff to discuss how best to support the child’s development.
Parents can visit the school to observe their child/children but prior appointments have to be made with the school.
At AMS there are opportunities which may provide support to parents who are interested to accompany their children these include; parent classes and parent information sessions held 2-3 times a year.
Average class sizes are set by governments. Montessori education supports the children’s independence and responsibility. With many adults around, young children in particular stop thinking and wait to be told what to do. At AMS currently we have a ratio of about 7 children to a teacher throughout the school.
In Cameroon there are no state Montessori schools at present. There are no training institutions for this method in the country and therefore it may be difficult to set up state schools. AMS is therefore privately owned.
In many parts of Scandinavia, Montessori is freely available to all. In the Netherlands it is a major part of state education. It has been adopted as part of the state system in Thailand.
In the US it has been adopted by some state schools. In the UK the government has recently been flirting with Montessori education and has introduced it into some state schools.
Montessori centenary World Book published in 2007 to celebrate 100 years of the Montessori movement around the world indicates that there are Montessori schools in Egypt, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Cameroon.
AMS was founded by Prof. Estella Tembe-Fokunang in 2007. She is a Clinical Pharmacologist who later trained and obtained a Diploma in Montessori education(birth to six) from St Nicholas Training Centre in London in 2001. Following a career within the pharmaceutical industry in Europe for over a decade, she decided to return to her roots in Cameroon to set up and run a Montessori school.
Experience from other countries show that it depends on when they leave Montessori. Those who leave at 4 years are usually bored and feel restricted in a traditional classroom. Those who leave at 5/6 years of age and older usually adapt quickly to their new environment because they are socially adaptable and flexible in their thinking and have a well-developed intellect to use in a traditional school. The main problem is that of boredom because they have understood so much of what is being taught.
In Cameroon the students may have a difficult time upon transitioning due to the differences in teaching/learning approaches.
Children who leave AMS at 6years upon completion of the nursery may transition into class 3 in the traditional Cameroonian primary schools. For those who leave at 9+ years they may sit the national entrance examinations into the national secondary schools or be accepted at the appropriate grade in international schools
In Cameroon today, there are no specialist training centres for the early years or Montessori education. At AMS, the teachers are selected from a pool of newly qualified teachers of the traditional methods. The teachers receive basic Montessori training in the theory and use of some key Montessori materials before the start of the academic year. Regular training sessions are organized for teachers throughout the academic year. After one year at AMS a teacher is considered knowledgeable enough to assist a qualified montessorian.
The founder of the school named it after her mother in honour of her wisdom to educate all her children (including her girls). Akwi, like Dr Maria Montessori was a woman ahead of her time.
Akwi Montessori School is an Anglo-Saxon institution however, French is taught throughout the school as it is one of the two official languages of Cameroon.