Education Today Education Today Magazine
Montessori Centre International (MCI), the leading provider of Montessori training courses, recently welcomed 80 new graduate practitioners.
MCI trains more than 300 students globally each year on its diploma, foundation degree and professional development Montessori courses. Montessori settings are enjoying revived interest from parents in the UK due to their practical approach, focus on outdoor learning and the way in which the environment allows the setting to guide children’s learning according to individual need and interest.
Marking the collaboration and 2018 graduation, MCI’s Director of Learning, Penny Johns said: “20 years marks a significant milestone for MCI. Whilst the way in which we deliver training has transformed, Montessori practice itself remains relatively unchanged. Students on our courses learn how to establish and implement a core set of values within a contemporary early years context. I’m delighted to welcome such a large number of new practitioners to Montessori and am confident this method of learning will continue to offer a counterbalance to today’s target driven education world.”
Montessori’s child-led approach stands out as it does not rely upon competitive measures of attainment and achievement. Instead, it focuses on what the individual child is ready to do and able to achieve and this requires a high degree of specialism, training and skill to deliver.
MCI courses are validated by London Metropolitan University and Cache/Crossfields Institute and offer flexible study routes that combine online and classroom based learning. There is a strong focus on employability and work-based learning and MCI’s early years graduates are highly sought after and go onto work in early years settings across the UK and internationally.