Peace Education: A Case Study of a Montessori School in Lebanon

Abstract

Abstract Lebanon suffered a civil war that torn its society. The third generation is still living the instability and conflicts that their grandparents experienced when the war started forty-five years ago. Nowadays, there is a need of a substantial change and children have the power of creating peace and making a major transformation of the society. Therefore, educators should believe in children’s power. The inclusion of a practical Peace Education Program in the Lebanese National Curriculum is, from the perspective of the researches, the tool children need to lead the future transformation. Peace Education can help them to know themselves and understand that everyone is an important part of the community and the country. Accordingly, this study examines the Peace Education Program at the first Montessori School in Lebanon and the teachers’ level of awareness of implementing it through their teaching practices. The level of awareness is related to the four pillars to be developed in the students according to the Montessori approach to Peace Education: Self-awareness, community-awareness, cultural-awareness, and environmental-awareness. The results of the study show that the director and the teachers have the adequate knowledge and awareness about this approach and they implement it, complying with Montessori’s principles and concepts. Keywords: Montessori, peace building, peace education, peace flower model, Lebanese curriculum