Every parent only wants to choose the very best for their child. So while you’re on the search to look for suitable schools and curriculums for your child, you may have stumbled upon “Montessori education.”
And we’re not claiming that it’s one of the “best” types of curriculums available today. Because we would like to leave that up to you to decide. However, Jeff Bezos, NBA MVP Stephan Curry, and Anne Frank are some of the notable Alumni of Montessori schools.
With such Alumni, it becomes essential to question if Montessori schools are worth the hype. Are the notable alumni a result of Montessori education, or is it just a coincidence? It could also be another expensive excuse for schools to loot parents of their hard-earned money.
Whatever it may be, the answer will only reveal itself when we examine what Montessori schools are and what kind of ideology they’re selling parents.
Summary
The two biggest reasons Montessori schools are bad is that they’re extremely expensive, and their students usually perform worse on standardized tests, which could harm them in the future.
The biggest pros of Montessori schools and why they may be worth it are that they encourage students to fall in love with learning and they help develop soft skills.
In the article, we look at the following topics:
Table of Contents
- 6 reasons Montessori schools are bad
- 1. The curriculum may be too relaxed.
- 2. Focus on individualistic goals and pace may be too much.
- 3. It’s downright expensive.
- 4. For most, it’s difficult to gain access.
- 5. Lower scores in standardized tests
- 6. Not all schools are the same.
- Philosophy
- Final Thoughts
6 reasons Montessori schools are bad
There are reasons people see Montessori schools as bad, with the most common one being that the curriculum is too relaxed.
1. The curriculum may be too relaxed.
One of the most common worries faced by parents of Montessori schools may be that the curriculum is way too relaxed.
Yes, it allows children to choose what they’d like to work on at their pace. And when children are interested in what they’re involved in, they are much better engaged.
Nonetheless, this school structure hardly represents what the real world looks like. The real world is full of deadlines and countless mundane tasks that one may not be interested in.
However, they still need to be performed and get done. It goes for everything in life, whether it’s a job or household chores.
And even if we keep the real world aside for a second, children may not learn all they need in school with this curriculum. For example, they may be more interested in languages and social science and not focus on mathematics and science.
In this regard, Montessori schools may be detrimental in developing a mindset where they can get out of things they aren’t interested in.
2. Focus on individualistic goals and pace may be too much.
How can we trust children to decide their goals and pace for themselves? As already mentioned when we expressed our skepticism toward Montessori schools, children can hardly be trusted to be left on their own.
How could they possibly learn subjects important to function as civilized individuals in a society?
Besides, they might get too comfortable working on their own. And when exposed to real-life scenarios where teamwork is required, they might find themselves uncomfortable and unequipped.
Another negative aspect of individualized learning may be that it doesn’t challenge kids enough to step out of their comfort zones. Children become habitual of picking and learning whatever they’re interested in and comfortable in.
Therefore, suppose challenges and risk strike in their more prime academic years (university) or the workplace. They might not be able to take on the load.
Too much pressure might leave them drained emotionally or underconfident. Since they haven’t been out of their comfort zone as much, they may doubt their ability to accept and overcome the challenge.
3. It’s downright expensive.
With a specialized curriculum comes specialized learning tools and resources. These schools are expensive as they equip their schools with adequate instruments and educators that are thorough with the Montessori form of education.
An approximate estimate is that a full-time Montessori school costs $14,750 a year. As more and more notable alumni pass out from this specialized form of education, the bigger the hole they create in parents’ pockets!
With the popularity of people seeking out admission to Montessori schools, they’re bound to take advantage.
4. For most, it’s difficult to gain access.
Spending a few thousand dollars out of their pocket for their child’s schooling is a big deal for most parents.
It’s especially when free public education is available in their country. It is exactly why most students that attend these schools come from privileged and well-to-do backgrounds.
But there is this one thought. Even if one were capable of affording Montessori school education, should parents admit their kids to a school where children come from similar backgrounds?
Wouldn’t public schools make for humbler individuals where kids are exposed to making friends from more diverse families and cultures?
5. Lower scores in standardized tests
Whether standardized tests can accurately judge a student’s intelligence or capabilities is a vastly debated topic. Nonetheless, obtaining a good score is crucial in landing admission to a reputable university or school.
And when it comes to the performance of Montessori students, they tend to underperform. According to the book “The Montessori Controversy,” John Chattin-McNichols researched how their students tend to score lower on standardized tests of both creativity and intelligence.
When children are learning in a self-paced environment, they can excel. However, there are also chances of them falling behind and being unable to compete with the rest of the world.
6. Not all schools are the same.
Unfortunately, no measurement metric can qualify a school as an “accredited” Montessori school. It means that practically any school can call itself a Montessori school.
It makes it hard to decipher whether a school implies the philosophy and teaching methods or whether it’s just a word they have added to their institution’s name.
It means that parents must research diligently and verify the expertise a school offers in its teaching methods. When choosing a school, it’s always a good idea to only judge a school through first-base references.
Philosophy
As debated as it might be, the Montessori philosophy revolves around children picking their challenges in the classroom. Children choose the topics they are most interested to learn and work on them at a pace they also decide for themselves.
On the other hand, teachers are only there to support and aid them stay engaged in their work. According to Maria Montessori’s handbook, whenever children are given freedom, they would shout, “I want to do it.”
In Montessori schools, they say, “help me do it alone.” This representation explains the ‘philosophy of individualized learning’. Can children even be trusted to teach themselves worldly concepts and other important subjects?
To better understand if Montessori schools are a suitable form of education for children, we’ve purposefully picked holes in the system. Here they are:
Final Thoughts
You may have started to read this article looking for faults in the Montessori education system. However, it is up to parents to decide what their child’s education should look like.
Many parents choose the traditional form of education, as they’re most familiar with it. Thus, they value knowing their child’s curriculum so they can help them out whenever they like.
On the other hand, the philosophy encourages independence. Perhaps that’s what you’d like for your child as well.
Even if one weren’t to enroll their child in a full-fledged Montessori system of education, they could still use various forms of learning in their day-to-day life.
Incorporating Montessori toys, beds and resources will also promote sensory-based learning and independence in the child’s behavior.
Hope you find what’s best for your child. Good luck.
