Montessori Group, a longstanding provider of quality Montessori education offering training, partnerships, quality assurance, social impact, and support for families and practitioners, has appointed Professor Sugata Mitra to the Board of Trustees for a term of three years from September 2021.
Sugata Mitra is Emeritus Professor at NIIT University in Rajasthan, India, and was previously the Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University. At Montessori Group, he joins a diverse Board of Trustees chaired by author, inspirational speaker, and CEO of Nosh Detox, Geeta Sidhu- Robb.
Professor Mitra brings a wealth of experience in conducting and guiding research in children’s education to the board. He is best known for his Hole in the Wall experiment, where a computer was embedded in a wall in an Indian slum, and children were allowed to freely use it. The experiment aimed at proving that children would learn to use computers and the internet without any formal training. Professor Mitra termed this Minimally Invasive Education.
He has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics and is credited with more than 25 inventions in the area of cognitive science and educational technology.
Montessori Group Chief Executive Officer, Leonor Stjepic, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Sugata Mitra to the Board of Trustees. He brings extensive experience and understanding of children’s education, which will be of great benefit to us in terms of research, which is a key part of our strategy going forward.”
Professor Mitra said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board of Trustees. My research often reflected Maria Montessori’s findings, so this appointment seems fitting. During my term as Trustee, we plan to conduct some high-quality research on children’s education that has visible impact.”
This appointment is one of a number of appointments that include The Duchess of York Sara Ferguson, being asked to be Chair of the new International Montessori Ambassadors group that will help the organisation reach more children.
