Trainers to train young minds

Dr. Montessori  being  welcomed  by the children of the Kotahena  Montessori.  Also in the picture are Mario and Renilde being presented with flowers by a little child – 1948

“It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it.” 
-Dr. Maria Montessori

Following the words of Dr. Maria Montessori, founder of the AMI method of educating children, Good Shepherd Maria Montessori Training Centre has produced hundreds of Montessori teachers who serve in Sri Lanka and the world around. For more than 70 years this hallowed institution has been silently moulding the minds of thousands of children who have now reached the highest positions and achievements in their lives. More importantly the Montessori Training Centre has produced hundreds of highly qualified and internationally recognised preschool or Montessori teachers who are now serving in countries like Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada.

Affiliated to the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Good Shepherd Maria Montessori Training Centre is the only authorized AMI Montessori Training Centre in Sri Lanka. 

Handed over to the Good Shepherd Sisters-- a congregation of reverent nuns in the Roman Catholic Church--by Dr. Maria Montessori herself in 1944, the legacy continues with the mission “to understand that the true spirit of teaching is in the imparting of knowledge, the building of a good character and with love and dedication to be faithful custodians of the Montessori Method,”.

Situated at St. Bridget’s Convent, 85, C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha, Colombo 07, the centre has a commendable  vision, “to communicate an understanding of education as a help to life, nurtured by love, compassion, patience, care and commitment to the needs of little children the world over, practising the principles of Dr. Maria Montessori’s method of Education”.

A milestone in Montessori education in Sri Lanka

The year 1944 was a milestone in the history of Montessori Education in Sri Lanka as it marked the arrival of Dr. Maria Montessori along with her son Mario. Having completed conducting a Training Course in Koddaikanal, India, on the invitation of the Ceylon Teachers’ Association  they came over  to conduct the first  ever Training Course in Sri Lanka. At the Training Course in Kodaikanal,  India , a few Sri Lankans  too, followed  and successfully  completed the Course. Among them were  the late Joyce Goonesekera  and Lena Wickramaratne.

Dr. Montessori’s lectures were given in the evenings in Italian and her son Mario  presented the English translation in the morning. He together with Joyce and Lena demonstrated the Montessori activities and the students were free to practise  them.  The participants comprised  300  principals of schools, teachers, lecturers and their wives from  universities and training  colleges, young students from schools , mothers interested in helping their children and many Good Shepherd Sisters, who later opened children’s houses in the convents  in  different parts of the island. 

At the conclusion of the course  in 1944 ( July – September  ) those who attended lectures having the required  credits in the Written and Practical Examinations were awarded certificates which were endorsed after  practice  in a recognized Institute.

2004 August – Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Montessori work in Sri Lanka – a little montessorian greeting the Guest of Honour Ms. Susan Blankhart – Ambassador to the Netherlands in Sri Lanka and Ms. Susan Blankhart lighting the traditional oil lamp

In 1944 before Dr. Maria Montessori left Sri Lanka, she handed over her pedagogical legacy to Rev. Mother Immaculate Conception Hughes, Provincial Superior of the Good Shepherd Sisters,  who  became her extended family, under the umbrella  of the  AMI. Good Shepherd Convent ,  Kotahena started its first Children’s House  with Sr. Ita  Cleery  as  Directress in 1944 . In the same year Leena Wickramaratne started her House of Children in Colpetty and later in her home town, Kandy. Having given the initiation to this world-renowned method Montessori teaching  to Sri Lanka, Dr. Maria Montessori returned to the country in 1948 on the invitation of the Government of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) for the celebration of its Independence. She was also accompanied by Mario, Ada and  Renilde her grand daughter and they were present at the opening of Joyce’s first  Children’s House in her Home Town - Galle . She also visited other  Houses of Children that were opened by this time and endorsed  diplomas. After she had seen the  seed of education she sowed in many countries she returned to the Netherlands and  she was called to her eternal reward on 6th May 1952.

In 1957 under the auspices of the AMI ,  A. M. Joosten was appointed the personal representative of Mario Montessori and Director of the Good Shepherd Maria Montessori Training  Centre, St. Bridget’s Convent  Colombo  07- Sr. Ita  Cleery  was appointed as  the First  Directress  aided by Joyce Goonesekera , which position she held till Sr. M. John Bosco Curley  succeeded her  in 1961.  Sr. John  Bosco worked with great zeal to spread the Montessori Method. A.M. Joosten visited Sri Lanka every  year, presided at the Practical Examinations, Awarded Diplomas, visited the Children’s Houses  affiliated to the Training Centre and conducted lectures for those interested in Montessori Education until his death in 1980.

Good Shepherd Maria Montessori Training Centre – St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka.

Inculcating the legacy: AMI Training in Sinhala 

Joyce Goonesekera continued to work unstintingly for the Children of Sri Lanka, opening  Children’s Houses in many parts of the island. In recognition of her work for the children and the young girls she was presented the Deshabandu Award by the Government of  Sri Lanka.   There was a crying need for Montessori Education in Sinhala as the course was conducted only in English. In 1963  Srs. John Bosco   and Stanislaus  Vas visited Mario with the intention of requesting permission for a course to be conducted  in Sinhala and  for Dr. Montessori’s Book ‘The Secret of Childhood’  to be  translated  into  Sinhala. Sr. Stanislaus did not return to Sri Lanka but stayed  on in Calcutta, India to do her Trainers’ Training under Mr. A.M. Joosten, to join the staff of the  Good Shepherd Training  Centre  on her return in 1964 .  The first ever course in Sinhala was started with 14 students and it continues to date  with the numbers increasing every year. In 1976 Sr. John Bosco was succeeded by Sr. Stanislaus Vas as Directress of the Training Centre. Sr. John Bosco returned to Ireland  in 1986 and in  1994 she was called to her Eternal Reward. 

In 1985 Sr. Benildus was appointed as the Directress of the Training Centre and under her leadership the Training Centre celebrated the Golden Jubilee of  Montessori work in Sri Lanka in 1994. This took place with great pomp and pageantry. She was again succeeded by Sr. Stanislaus  Vas in 1994 and she continues to lead the Training Centre to date.

State recognition

In recognition of the great service to the country and its education, the  Sri Lankan Postal Department issued a stamp in 2000 to commemorate the 130th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Maria Montessori. Dr. Mainardo  Benardelli- the 1st Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission of the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka - was the guest of honour at this occasion.  In 2004 the Good Shepherd Montessori Training Centre celebrated the Diamond  Jubilee of Montessori  work in Sri Lanka with Mrs. Susan Blankhart,  Ambassador to the Netherlands in Sri Lanka, as the guest of honour. 

“The greater number of our Montessori diploma holders are working in the many children’s  Houses  that have come  into existence in Sri Lanka, some opening their own Children’s Houses. Others have  gone further in the field and are devoting themselves to the service of children in various parts of the world. Some others are working in the Primary Departments of the Public and International  Schools and their services are much appreciated,” says Rev. Sr. Stanislaus Vas, the present  Directress of Montessori Training Centre. “Our beginnings were small as we conducted lectures at St. Bridget’s Montessori House of Children, after school hours. With gratitude we acknowledge the generosity of our benefactors Mr. & Mrs, Ananda Senarath for we now have a beautiful two storeyed building  where we have   our lectures and demonstration classes. 

Since then we have had more extensions with a practice class, a library and an atrium, yet again through the generosity of another benefactor,”  Sr. Vas elaborated. 

“God has rewarded the labours of the years  with the increase which now shows itself  not only in the extension of the buildings,  but also in the  continued efforts to form the mind and heart, to train  the will and strengthen the moral sense of all those entrusted to us, for they - the Trainees - nurture  and form the greatest resource of our world  - THE CHILD”  We teachers can only help the work going on, as servants wait upon a master.
- Maria Montessori