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Jamshed Memorial Montessori School is the pioneer of Montessori Education in Pakistan. Mrs. Gool Minwalla was the pioneer and guiding force behind the Montessori movement in Pakistan. She studied and worked with Dr. Maria Montessori the founder of Montessori education. Dr. Maria Montessori was invited by Mrs. Gool Minwalla to Karachi to inaugurate the first Pakistan Montessori Teacher’s Training Course. It was her fervor and commitment which established the Montessori training course and revolutionized the early education for preschool children.
Mrs. Gool Minwalla represented Pakistan at the Montessori World Congress in Amsterdam in 1964. The second Montessori training was held in 1966. Dr. Maria Montessori’s son, Mr. Mario Montessori and Ada Montessori came to Karachi to examine the students of the course. After this began the major activity of training teachers, parents and adults who worked with children.
Mrs. Minwalla had a group of dedicated helpers like Mrs. Majida Sufi, Mrs. Gul Thanavalla, Mrs. Shireen Wania, Mrs. Arifa Saifie, Mrs. Habiba Thobani and Mrs. Piroja Irani who were the mainstay Montessori training and activities in Pakistan.
In 1985, the 20th International Montessori Congress was organized at Karachi by PMA. It was the first international congress to be held in South Asia. Dr. Maria Montessori’s grandson, Dr. Mario Montessori, Jr., Renilde Montessori and Mr. Portillieje, President AMI, the Netherlands, attended the Congress. Over 300 delegates participated. Of these more than one third attended from 14 countries outside Pakistan. It was a huge success.
2007 was the centenary year of the establishment of the first school by Dr. Maria Montessori in the suburbs of Rome, Italy. The PMA celebrated the year by unveiling a plaque at the Jamshed Memorial Hall where the first training course was held under Dr. Montessori, organizing a Walk for Montessori children at the Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam and holding an Art Exhibition of children of Montessori schools and finally, organizing a Seminar on Parental Guidance at the Aga Khan University Hospital Auditorium for parents, teachers and general public. Montessori Teachers Training Centre also participated in this Seminar. This heritage of pioneering Montessori education need to be revived.
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