Friedrich Froebel was counter-cultural in his day, vehemently protesting an educational system in which children were forced into a mould instead of being valued and nurtured as individuals. Our results-driven system is not fundamentally different.
What was life like before ‘childhood’ existed? Children worked in mines and factories; nobody celebrated birthdays, and by the age of seven children were considered adults. Then along came Friedrich Froebel.
An acrid cloud of smoke diffused over the city square while triumphant Nazi soldiers looked on. An effigy of Maria Montessori lay burning, the books she had authored charring nearby.
Imagine a school where children attend 10-hour-long classes, six days a week. Where students teach each other and there are no marks or exams.
Reggio Emilia is a prosperous town in the hills of northern Italy, home to a programme of early childhood education that has gained international repute.
In 1962 David Weikart wanted to discover a curriculum that would generate better academic outcomes in later years and equip children to deal successfully with life as adults. But how to unify all the ideas?