B V A RAO
Dr. Ing. B. V. A. Rao, Retired Professor from IIT Madras, is the President of the Indian Montessori Centre (IMC) since 1993. Being himself serving as the President of another prestigious Institution‘Hymamshu Jyothi Kala Peetha’in Malleswaram, Bengaluru, which is well known for its Pre-Schools since 1942, has been taking deep interest in the propagation of Montessori Education throughout the country and even abroad with his vast experience in training the Children as well as Engineers. The present Montessori Director Training Course (MDTC), a unique wing of IMC to train more number of Trainers, who are most needed for a vast country like ours, is his idea.
An academician-par-excellence, Dr. Rao has been currently associated with National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), an organization created for eminent Scientists and Engineers to research on social needs.
Currently Dr. Rao is involved there in researching on such areas like the Reforms needed in Higher Education relating to Engineering and Technology and also identifying creative and innovative children at the Pre-School levels, who are most needed in future generations. Due to his academic contributions while serving at higher institutes of Technology, Dr. Rao has received many distinctions like: Fellowship of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), Medal of Excellence in Engineering Education from the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) and Best Engineer Award from the Institution of Engineers (India).
In addition he has served as National President/National Secretary of many prestigious Professional Societies in the country. He is an Alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. He has widely travelled and served in many prestigious institutions abroad. IMC has also honoured him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
DIPTI DEVI
Dipti Devi was born on 17th April, 1923 in Calcutta. In 1951 she got the news of Montessori Training being held in Kolkata and took admission there without delay to attend the evening classes of the course at St. Xavier’s College, Park Street. The course Director was Mr. Joosten and Mr. Swami and Ms. Pillai were his assistants. She also attended the next course in the following year held at Gujarati Bal Mandir. Following Dr. Montessori’s principle Dipti Devi realized the need of a third educational environment for the child as supplement to his other two educational environments, his home and society.
Mrs. Venkataraman, one of her classmates and a well accomplished lady offered her help voluntarily. On March 1, 1955, Montessori Shishu Bhavan, the brainchild of Dipti Devi came into being with the affiliation of Association Montessori International (A.M.I.) which was the second house of children set up in Kolkata during that period. Dipti Devi started her school with only four children, one of whom was from her own family and the other three from the families of her near relatives and friends. Within ten years Shishu Bhavan was flooded with children.
From its initial years Shishu Bhavan used to conduct Mother and Teacher meetings at regular intervals in a year as mother is the primary care giver to a child.
Dipti Devi took a prominent role in the Montessori Movement in Kolkata. ‘Association of Montessorians, Calcutta’ was started on August 31, 1955 on the birth anniversary of Dr. Maria Montessori. Mr. A.M. Joosten was its Founder President. Dipti Devi was the Hon. Secretary and one of the founders. The Association worked to help the Montessorians in carrying out their work and to help the persons interested in the propagation of Montessori methods with ideas and information.
International Montessori conferences several times held in different countries. She was invited to deliver lectures on Dr. Montessori and her method from different cities of India.
Dipti Devi left for her heavenly abode on October 31, 2004.Source: Montessori Shishu Bhavan.
DR. ALI KHWAJA
A Montessorian, an engineering graduate of IIT Bombay, MIE, MIIM, with a Ph.D in behavioral sciences — he has always carved out his own path and been a free-lancer, ensuring that work is joy every day. He attributes two years studying in a Montessori school in Mumbai in 1958 and 1959 as the reason behind this.“There, I learnt how important it is to have a mind of your own, rather than blindly following what people tell you to do or want you to become,” says Khwaja.
He enjoys teaching classes at Banjara academy and ensures that he meets all the students every class not only imparting his insights on the subject but also with an earnestness to learn something new from the students. ( https://www.banjaraacademy.org/ )
He is the author of 30 books and nearly 80 booklets. He is regularly invited by many prestigious and reputed Schools, Colleges, Universities, NGOs, Corporates and various other institutions for lectures, talks and workshops.
RADHA NAGARAJ
Radha Nagaraj has a BA and a B.Ed degree apart from her Pre-primary Montessori teacher training under Joosten. She has acted as a teacher trainer in the Montessori methodology for twelve years at Indian Montessori Training Courses, for both Kannada and English programs, and at IIMS for over 13 years.
Her grasp over the theory and psychology of the child in the Pre-primary stage is unparalleled. She handled theory topics, and Pre-primary Directors’training at the Institute.
GOOL K MINWALLA (01-05-1913 to 20-05-2002)
Mrs. Gool K. Minwalla was the pioneer of the Montessori Movement in Pakistan. She was one of the 345 students of the first teachers training course conducted by Dr. Maria Montessori in Kalekshetra, Adyar in 1939. She started her first Montessori House of Children in Karachi in 1941 which was recognized by AMI.
In 1949 she was instrumental in inviting Dr. Montessori to Pakistan.
The Pakistan Montessori Association was established then and the first Pakistan Montessori Teachers Training course was inaugurated by Dr. Maria Montessori and conducted by Mr. Joosten in Karachi in 1949. The Second teachers training course was inaugurated by Mario Montessori senior in 1966. Since then, training courses have been conducted every year of which Mrs. Gool K. Minwalla was the Director of Training.
So far, over 3,500 Montessori teachers have obtained training from her organization. She was also appointed external examiner by the AMI to assess students all over the USA, Europe, India, Sri Lanka and Japan.
Inspired by the then Karachi mayor, Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta, Ms .Minwalla joined the Theosophical Society in 1935 and succeeded Jamshed as the presidential agent for the society in Pakistan after his death in 1952, and delivered lectures on the subject in various countries
One of the pioneers in social work, a women’s rights activist and educationist, Gool Khurshed Minwalla died at her Bath Island home at the age of 89.
MARI0 MONTESSORI SR.
Mario Montessori Sr. – Born on 31st March 1898, Mario was the only son of Maria. He accompanied Maria to the US when he was seventeen. Together they established the Association Montessori Internationale as a parent body to oversee the activities of schools and societies. Owing to efforts of Mario, after the establishment of AMI, activities of Montessori movement became quite organized.
Maria’s stay in the US was quite trying for her and Mario proved to be a calming influence. Mario protected his mother from those who were always trying to climb on the bandwagon of her fame. As Maria became older she became more dependent on her son in the organizational details.
Mario accompanied Maria on her travel to India and reached Adyar, Chennai in October 1939. This trip to India was on the invitation of Theosophical Society that was headquartered in Chennai. Because of World War II, they were forced to extend their stay in India. Since they were Italians, the British Government interned Mario to a camp for civilians in Ahmednagar and also placed some restrictions on the movements of Dr. Maria. On 31st August 1940 British Government released Mario. It was Maria’s birthday, and letter from the Government said that‘he’was a birthday gift”from the British Government!
Between 1939 and 1946 the Montessoris conducted sixteen courses, which they called the Indian Montessori Training Courses, a name which has continued even to this day. Dr. Maria would give her lectures in Italian and Mr. Mario would translate it in English. Together they trained over thousand Indian teachers in the Montessori Method. In 1946 they returned to Holland after staying in the Indian subcontinent for nearly seven years.
Maria and Mario conducted courses, and organized lectures, in London, Scotland, Rome, Berlin, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, Holland, France.
After Dr. Maria Montessori passed away Mr. Mario continued the work of spreading the Montessori Movement actively.
He continued conducting the training courses In 1956. Mario published the book “The Human Tendencies and Montessori education”. He was awarded a Honorary Doctorate by the Edgecliffe College, USA in the year 1970. He implemented the Training of Trainers programme for the first time in the year 1976.
Mr. Mario Montessori’s wife Ms. Ada shared his work in the Montessori field. His daughter Renilde, later, became the President of the Association Montessori Internationale After a brief period of failing health and eyesight, Mario passed away on the 10th of February 1982.
DIPTI DEVI
DR. ALI KHWAJA
RADHA NAGARAJ
Radha Nagaraj has a BA and a B.Ed degree apart from her Pre-primary Montessori teacher training under Joosten. She has acted as a teacher trainer in the Montessori methodology for twelve years at Indian Montessori Training Courses, for both Kannada and English programs, and at IIMS for over 13 years.
Her grasp over the theory and psychology of the child in the Pre-primary stage is unparalleled. She handled theory topics, and Pre-primary Directors’training at the Institute.
GOOL K MINWALLA
(01-05-1913 to 20-05-2002)
Mrs. Gool K. Minwalla was the pioneer of the Montessori Movement in Pakistan. She was one of the 345 students of the first teachers training course conducted by Dr. Maria Montessori in Kalekshetra, Adyar in 1939. She started her first Montessori House of Children in Karachi in 1941 which was recognized by AMI.
In 1949 she was instrumental in inviting Dr. Montessori to Pakistan.
The Pakistan Montessori Association was established then and the first Pakistan Montessori Teachers Training course was inaugurated by Dr. Maria Montessori and conducted by Mr. Joosten in Karachi in 1949. The Second teachers training course was inaugurated by Mario Montessori senior in 1966. Since then, training courses have been conducted every year of which Mrs. Gool K. Minwalla was the Director of Training.
So far, over 3,500 Montessori teachers have obtained training from her organization. She was also appointed external examiner by the AMI to assess students all over the USA, Europe, India, Sri Lanka and Japan.
Inspired by the then Karachi mayor, Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta, Ms .Minwalla joined the Theosophical Society in 1935 and succeeded Jamshed as the presidential agent for the society in Pakistan after his death in 1952, and delivered lectures on the subject in various countries
One of the pioneers in social work, a women’s rights activist and educationist, Gool Khurshed Minwalla died at her Bath Island home at the age of 89.
