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Large systems, like a school system, need rules and procedures that help guarantee a relatively consistent outcome. The unstructured, exploratory nature of Mont
by rp3 5y ago
Large systems, like a school system, need rules and procedures that help guarantee a relatively consistent outcome. The unstructured, exploratory nature of Montessori doesn't lend itself well to a a large-scale, systematic approach.
- 3np 5y agoFrom the point of view of the institution, a consistent approach is usually preferable. In general it’s not a given that it’s a desirable goal. Depending on your ideological and political stances.
- vanviegen 5y agoMy children attend a Montessori public school here if the Netherlands. So such a thing is certainly possible. Though the Montessori principles may have been watered down a bit to comply with state demands - I'm not really sure as I don't have any comparison points outside of our public system.
- scythe 5y ago>Large systems, like a school system, need rules and procedures that help guarantee a relatively consistent outcome. But is that really true? For one thing, you can have a fail-over mechanism if something isn't working. For another, we already do: it's called special education. That's before we get to the part where "consistent outcomes" are not a feature of the current system, unless you impose a very low standard of 'consistency'.
- warble 5y agoYeah - I agree. Large centralized institutions do tend to work this way, but it's not a requirement, although it's always a struggle to keep the administration from pushing this route because it's easier even though it gives poorer outcomes.
- watwut 5y agoMontessori schools are super structured. They are not unstructured in any meaning of the word.
- rp3 5y agoAs far as I know, which is admittedly not much, unstructured play as a mean of nurturing a child's independence, self-reliance, and creativity in a central tenet of Montessori.
- mensetmanusman 5y agoWhich is funny, because unstructured exploratory learning by definition increases diversity of thought, but diversity isn’t the goal of large industrial systematic systems.
- luma 5y agoLarge systems, like a school system, develop rules and procedures that help guarantee the continued existence of the system itself. The overt stated goals (eg "provide a quality education") eventually become secondary to this fundamental driving principle (eg "make sure there is a school system for us to go to tomorrow").