The impact of violence on a child’s mind
In The Secret of Childhood, Montessori underlined the role of peaceful circumstances in a child’s upbringing.
First published in 1936, this book presented her thesis that all major individual and social problems have their roots in childhood.
Montessori was not the first to argue this line, but she developed it into a full-scale pedagogic philosophy and strategy that might enable society and the state to break the cycle of the influence of historical circumstances on children’s mind and behaviour.
The implications of this perspective were drawn out in her lectures on peace and liberation from the reproductive cycle of war.
Driven by anger and internal political compulsions, Israel’s leaders have chosen to ignore the message that Montessori had given to the world during and after a horrific global war.
Montessori was part of an inter-war movement, initiated by eminent educators of the time, for using education to fight the culture of war. Rabindranath Tagore was also involved in this international effort.
Although it could not prevent the Second World War, the movement has left behind a rich legacy of ideas for us to engage with in our turbulent present.
One aspect of this legacy is to worry about children who grow up in a war-infested world.
How to address these issues?
In principle, education has this potential, but most systems of education today lack the energy required to harness this potential.
In fact, frustration with education is common across the world.
Many believe that education cannot reverse the political impact of dangerous ideologies.
Russia’s war with Ukraine and the ongoing destruction of Gaza raise serious questions about the power of education to inculcate basic good sense.
Russia, Israel, and the U.S. are among the most educated nations of the world, but they have failed to use education to nurture peace.
Current discussions about the future of Gaza are focused entirely on politics.
Those concerned about children in Palestine will have a tough time deciding their future course of action.
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