About Us

Welcome to the South African Montessori Association’s website, created especially for the members of the Association, as well as others interested in Montessori pedagogy. We trust you will find the information most useful.

We encourage you to browse our site, where you will find SAMA member schools; quality assurance process for SAMA member schools; training institutions and suppliers of Montessori equipment and other useful resources. Should you require any further information or support, contact the SAMA administrator at assistant@samontessori.org.za

As a volunteer run Organisation, SAMA is committed to growth and support of Montessori in Southern Africa.

The primary contact for assistance and enquiries is the SAMA Office – admin@samontessori.org.za or  assistant@samontessori.org.za

SAMA is a non-profit (NPO 141 155), volunteer run Organisation.

It is an Independent Association of members.

Membership is voluntary.

SAMA’s Vision

Leading transformation through Montessori education.

Why SAMA exists

In April 2003 at SAMA’s inaugural AGM, the association was constituted with the mandate to unite Montessori professionals across Southern Africa by encouraging global best practice in Montessori methodology.

Montessori schools are individual, unique and separate entities.  “MONTESSORI” is not trademarked, therefore we endeavour to promote and protect the interests of our members, be they institutional or individual.

SAMA is the official liaison between its member body and government departments through our membership with NAISA (National Alliance for Independent school of South Africa); including ECD chambers of government as well as the Department Social Development (DSD) and the Department of Basic Education (DBE). This representation is paramount in keeping best practice and integrity in member Montessori schools.

In 2014 SAMA established a three-tier quality assurance system to guide our independently owned Montessori schools to achieve global best practice in Montessori pedagogy.

History of SAMA

The council of education  Witwatersrand published a Report on The Montessori system of Education written by Miss Wynsouw hoping it may be helpful to some in SA who are interested in early education, the prefatory note was written by W Dalrymple, Deputy Chairman of Council in Johannesburg, 18^th January 1915.

An article in TUCS (Transvaal University College) Student Magazine of 1917 – “The Montessori Method as applied in the Transvaal”, shows evidence of one hundred years of Montessori in SA! The first school “St Francis in the forest” run by three sisters, was situated close to the Zoo in Johannesburg. It is our understanding from further anecdotal interviews and articles that there was also a Montessori pre-school started in 1917 in Wynberg, Cape Town.  The school was on Wynberg Hill and called the Garden Montessori School, there is an article in the Cape Times  – 1924 & Cape Argus -1939, January 18 referencing this school.  There are also records from the 1920’s of a Montessori school in Pietermaritzburg.

After a renewal of interest in Montessori education in the 70’s, several schools emerged in Johannesburg, Soweto and Cape Town.

Montessori education has affected many communities and has contributed to the crossing of borders of religion, race and economic status. With the support of Mrs. Strilli Oppenheimer and her family Montessori in Southern Africa was established, Montessori in South Africa: The Challenge, The Dream, and The Promise by Orcillia Oppenheimer.

The Montessori Society was founded in 1981 and had some participation from neighbouring countries and support from forward thinking Organisations such as Liberty life who financed the production of its Newsletter.

The international congress “To educate the human potential” was hosted on the 3^rd to the 5^th of July 1986 at 457 Sussex Avenue, Lynnwood, South Africa.  The opening and closing addresses, as well as of the presentations by Tony Buzan, Barbara Clark, Renilde Montessori, Mary Hayes, Rebecca Mphahlele, Miriam Dakile and the panel discussion on “Grade 0” and “Education in a Free Society” can be viewed.

In 1991 at the ISASA conference in Mmabatho, Montessori had prominence in discussions. The Montessori method has proven itself both adaptable and beneficial to all socioeconomic levels and specialities within the educational systems and continues to grow worldwide. Read more about a Open sky nursery school in King William’s Town; article Reaching for the sky article Courier Vol 3 no 3 1991.  Also the 1994 article on ‘Montessori with a difference”.  As part of the history of education Clive James Martin submitted “The feasibility of Montessorian Education in the primary school: An Historico-Educational Exposition’ as part of his Doctor of Education degree requirements.

A report by the Montessori Teacher Education Collaborative visiting South Africa 1995 Montessori in South Africa Report by D Kahn – An overview of Needs and Development

Montessori Life Winter 1997 article Montessori in South Africa by Sr. Aloyse Gerhardstein about the first elementary training program in South Africa in April and May 1986, an intensive 6- week program with 32 students.  Followed by one year later to 20 students the 9 to 12 lectures.

Further reading:

Montessori for the modern day article in March 1997 on P E Montessori; 1998 EL Montessori Chapter launches; 2002 Stego Report on Montessori Salaries and school fees; 2005 article on Child Centred Learning for Sustainability by E Annecke; 2010 Journal of Education by Hasina Ebrahim – tracing historical shifts in ECD and education in South Africa.

Today there are numerous Montessori schools throughout South Africa as well as the rest of Africa (that we know of: Namibia, Swaziland, Seychelles, Mauritius, DR Congo, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Tanzania).

Currently in South Africa we have independently owned SAMA member schools working towards SAMA Full membership.

Our Founding Documents: