Montessori is a word that has commonly come to be associated with the education of very young children. A school often called a Montessori school when it is associated with young children or when it uses some of the Montessori materials but may not apply the principles of Montessori education.

It is indeed hard to define a good Montessori school. Dr. Montessori defined education as aid to life, a very broad definition. She believed that to offer the child this help, he must live in a specially prepared environment that answers all his needs – physical and spiritual. It is widely accepted today that children are driven to learn from the moment they are born. A Montessori school assists this very natural process and removes the obstacles that the child may find in his path. The child is at the centre of the educational process, and the adult follows the child and helps him to help himself.

The schools we have included in this category participated in a nation wide Centenary Census during 2007. Each school filled up a Census form and sent it to us. If you know of a school not listed here please do write to us or reach the Centenary Census form to them and ask them to fill it up and send it to us. This list of schools constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.