Founded in 2018, the International Montessori School-Erbil has grown into a flourishing community in the capital of the Kurdistan Region. With around 500 students enrolled, the school enjoys the enthusiastic support of parents, teachers, and administrators, as well as of the Montessori Foundation in the United States.

The Montessori method of education was started in the early 20th century by the Italian physician Maria Montessori and marked a new educational philosophy by focusing on children’s natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. “To consider the school as a place where instruction is given is one point of view,” Maria Montessori argued. ”But, to consider the school as a preparation for life is another. In the latter case, the school must satisfy all the needs of life.”

For the Kurdistan Region, the International Montessori School-Erbil has additional significance. The great-granddaughter of Maria Montessori, Carolina, was married to Iraqi Foreign Minister and top Kurdish politician Fuad Hussein and focused on spreading her legacy by translating her diaries. Carolina recently passed away due to sickness on April 7, 2024.

Cultivating soft skills

The Montessori School’s official vision is to provide the highest quality of learning, aiming to produce graduates who, besides having skills and knowledge in their discipline zones, are critical thinkers who can make significant changes in their communities and in the world.

“The Montessori approach is very important because it focuses on the child,” said Azhen Saeed Abdulla, the principal of International Montessori School-Erbil. “The learning journey is made more enjoyable with this approach and through hands-on learning, which places the student at the center of education. Here, while achieving academic skills or requirements is a plus, we cultivate students to have the soft skills that they will need in life outside of education.”

Abdulla added that the school’s parents choose Montessori for its attention to their students’ personalities, social skills, independence, and well-being. “We provide a healthy environment for kids to grow,” she said.

Meena Rasheed, who supervises the school’s academic quality control, added that Montessori prepares students for life after school. “Most students enter the real world and are shocked. We want to focus on how to use knowledge and apply it to real life.”

Abdulla said the first principle of the Montessori approach is respecting the child. “This is very important. If you look at the Montessori classrooms it’s different. You can see the difference between Montessori education and other schools.”

Furthermore, she said that students at the school often work in groups. “This allows students to become more independent and share information with group mates. This is also important because later, in school and life, they can be good team members.”

Foundational support

Abdulla emphasized that the backing of the Montessori Foundation in the United States is significant in the school’s success in Kurdistan. Being accredited and affiliated by foundation provides a more reliable and higher standard quality of education.

The Montessori educational method itself is not initially from the United States, but most of the Montessori schools in operation are in the United States. “It’s most common in the United States rather than in Europe or other countries. If you search Montessori online, you are most likely to find a location in the United States,” she noted.

The foundation is actively involved in the school’s performance, performing quality control visits to Kurdistan every year, in addition to providing the school with books, materials, and curriculums. “They visit Kurdistan every year to check how we are managing this school and that we are aligning with the standards of Montessori,” said Abdulla. “This is one reason that parents choose the school.”

During these visits, foundation members suggest the most updated curriculum that is aligned with what schools are doing in the United States. “We are following the same script and sequence that is the common core curriculum. They are very cooperative and supportive whenever we need their assistance or their guidance for anything,” she noted.

The school also offers Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, which is a system from the United States and allows students to study abroad. “AP programs are used in the United States mainly for facilitating students to apply to colleges. Students who take an AP curriculum in high school are both more eligible for U.S. colleges and more attractive to admission committees,” Rasheed said.

“I think parents would like to choose international schools because they think that their child might have more options in the future in terms of going to universities in other countries,” Abdulla added. “All U.S. credits are certified there, as the school is accredited, and they will be able to apply to any university abroad since they have a U.S. diploma.”

Serving the community

In the future, the International Montessori School-Erbil plans to expand to other governorates in the Kurdistan Region. “It’s very necessary that we implement this system in all other schools in Kurdistan and Iraq as well,” Abdulla said. “The Montessori approach prepares a very healthy human being for society, for everyone.”

“If you look at the new generation, if you worked with them, there are some gaps with their skills. In Montessori it’s a full package, it works on every aspect,” she added.

“We would like children in Kurdistan to benefit from this approach. We want to serve our community, especially since Montessori philosophy focuses on humanity and taking care of the sustainability of the environment. I think people need these skills nowadays,” Rasheed concluded.