Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori lived between 1870 and 1952. She was an Italian educator who has left her mark on education today. Her Montessori method of education is widely used all round the world. Many educationalists say it is the best system for child education. Montessori was also a doctor, philosopher and philanthropist. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times for her work.

Montessori was the first woman to graduate from the University of Rome’s Medical School. She trained as a psychiatrist and was interested in educating the "mentally retarded" and others with learning difficulties. She had great success when her class of “problematic” 8-year-olds had above-average scores in state reading and writing tests. This was described as "the first Montessori miracle."