Montessori School

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Cultural spaces · Subcategory: Institutions · Year: 1964

Occupying several buildings on Emilio Calzadilla street is the Montessori School, whose trajectory throughout its entire existence in Santa Cruz has been characterised by differentiated education, close personal attention, always with a huge civic commitment. 

The educational centre was founded in 1964 by José Antonio Castro Álvarez, affectionately known as “El Mae"·, together with the invaluable collaboration of Nieves Fernández Díaz, “Seño Nieves”. The pedagogical model is based on the educational method named after the Italian Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori (Chiaravalle, Italy; 31 August 1870 - Noordwijk, South Holland; 6 May 1952), a pedagogue, humanist psychiatrist and philosopher. Her main ideas are founded on respect for each student's learning pace, their autonomy, creativity and broad values of freedom.

With these basic principles, the Montessori School of Santa Cruz represented a new way of educating in the city during the Franco regime, standing out for its secular, critical, progressive spirit and admitting pupils of both sexes; all unusual aspects at that time.

What began as just a nursery gradually became, inside two small adjoining houses in the popular El Toscal neighbourhood, a distinctive centre that has developed an educational role of enormous importance. For this reason, the City Council has awarded the Medal of Cultural Merit of the City to both its founder and the School itself.

The Montessori, with its innovative method, has always promoted important aspects such as culture, peace, human rights, equality among people and respect for the environment.

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