CHENNAI: Even as Montessori model of education is gaining prominence in Chennai, it is adopted more often by private schools than state-run ones, as the cost of setting-up such schools, which need specially trained teachers, is an expensive affair. However, a non-governmental organisation, Sri Ramcharan Foundation has set up Montessori model kindergarten classrooms in 13 schools run by the Chennai Corporation and one by the government and the outcome is overwhelming.
Authorities of one of the schools, where the Montessori model was implemented has claimed that the strength of students has doubled up since the implementation of Montessori classrooms. In Chennai Middle School, MGR Nagar, the student strength has doubled since the inception of Montessori education six years ago, says principal S Sujatha.
According to the principal, the student strength in the school was over 600 six years ago while now it has reached to almost 1100. "The parents who are attracted by the Montessori classes, continue to enroll their children in our higher classes," said Sujatha.
Three-year-old Nisha carefully places a knife on a carrot and chops it into tiny pieces. Once she is done, she scoops the pieces into a cup, wipes the cutting board, washes the knife and replaces it on a rack at the back of her kindergarten classroom. This exercise is part of her sensory training. Usha Jayaraman, one of the trustees of the Foundation, said "Education is an assistance to life. This is the principle with which Montessori model of education was evolved,". She further added that more than 15 years ago, members from Sri Ramcharan foundation used to conduct free tuition after school.
In 2004, one corporation school headmistress had reached out to the trust seeking help to conduct spoken English classes. "The other trustees and I went into an elementary classroom and saw that the teacher held a ruler in her hand and asked students to sit silently with their index on the lip. We immediately realised that this is unfair to children who were bursting with energy. Therefore, after much research we decided to help set up Montessori based classrooms in corporation schools in the city," said Jayaraman.
To explore and be active is a natural urge of a child, she said adding that activity is crucial to self development. While free activity is available at home, structured meaningful activity should be available at school, she said. "When activity is given a frame work it helps the child to work within the structure towards a fixed goal.
When there is goal, the mind automatically works to achieve the goal," said Rani Murugan, a Monstessori teacher at the school. There is an array of activities from which children can pick. Other classmates of Nisha are learning to count with an abacus, arrange blocks from big to small or heavy to light, pour water from jars to cup and back and arrange wooden cut-outs of alphabet in order. Sitting by her, her friend rolls heart shape Chapathi dough on with a rolling pin. He too replaces everything he used after he is content. Each student is doing an activity they chose to do that day.
"Usually, we explain the activities and the structure to the children and ask them what they want to do each day. We teach them to replace everything they use, keep their surroundings clean and when they see their friends doing it, they pick up quickly. We never order them to do anything. We treat them with respect," she said adding that several parents have told them that their wards continue to behave with responsibility even at home.
Currently, Sri Ramcharan trust is planning on expanding the Montessori model up to class two in the school, said Usha adding, "We have trained 80-90 corporation teachers. It costs Rs 80,000 to train teachers currently. At some point, we aim to expand to all corporation schools."