The  The Contribution of “A Sister of Notre Dame” and the “Nun of Calabar” to Montessori Education in Scotland, Nigeria and Beyond

Maria Patricia Williams

doi:10.36253/rse-10344

Abstract

Although the English Montessori Movement was declining, two educators, trained in the Method in England in the 1920s, contributed significantly to the continuity of Montessori education. “A Sister of Notre Dame”, was the anonymous author of A Scottish Montessori School, published in1932. The “Nun of Calabar”, established Montessori schools between 1926 and 1934 in Nigeria. Their work is placed within the political, social, and cultural context of the time.

Highlights

This article aims to contribute to recent scholarship, uncovering a hidden history of Montessori education, in English-speaking countries (De Giorgi 2018; Whitehead et al 2018; Williams 2015)
It explores the work of two English educators who contributed to the continued vitality of Montessori education from 1919 until today
Born in England, she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 18983. She served as a teacher and headmistress at the practice school of Dowanhill Teacher Training College, Glasgow, Scotland, the school described in her book

Summary

INTRODUCTION

This article aims to contribute to recent scholarship, uncovering a hidden history of Montessori education, in English-speaking countries (De Giorgi 2018; Whitehead et al 2018; Williams 2015). A study of the work of each educator considers their contributions in establishing successful Montessori schools and contributing to wider mobilisation of the Method This includes dissemination of ideas; geographical movement of people and resources and enabling teachers to develop dispositions needed for Montessorian educational practice (Williams 2015). Sister Magdalene trained many directresses at Saint Joseph’s Her friends overseas funded bursaries to allow some pupil teachers to board and continue their education. Visitors from other establishments, in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, saw the implementation of the Method at Saint Joseph’s Those recorded in the school logbook include: Miss Wordsworth, newly appointed Principal of the Queen’s College Lagos; Miss Robinson from the Government College, Umuahia and Sister Mabel from the Gold Coast (Okure 2016, 74). On January 18, 1930, he wrote advising Mother Amadeus to, “arrange that three sisters go to Calabar to get from Sister Magdalene a thorough grasp of her work and meth-

19 Dictionary of Irish Biography - Cambridge University Press 20 “Praeteria

CONCLUSION