Cebu City enhances ECCD teaching method the Montessori way

 CEBU CITY –More than 260 Day Care teachers and supervisors in Cebu City learned new ways to enhance teaching methods for early childhood education at the public schools by adopting the Montessori way and principles of child-centered and experiential learning approaches.

The Cebu City Government and the Cebu Paradise Montessori School (CPMS) inked a memorandum of partnership this year, for Cebu City’s first Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Basic Montessori Training program, organized through the collaborative efforts of the Cebu City Local School Board, the Department of Social Welfare Services – Cebu City, and CPMS.

The program aims to strengthen and enhance early childhood education through sustained professional development, anchored on the Montessori principles of child-centered education, transforming not just classrooms, but also the educators who shape young learners during their most formative years.

“This is the first ever Montessori training conducted for ECCD teachers, this professional development program for the ECCD teachers started way back 2008 but the training did not continue due to changes in city leadership.  Under the current leadership, the 10-day training is revived,” Young said, in a side interview at the culmination and recognition day on June 13 at City Hall.

Cebu City Mayor, Nestor Archival, in his inspirational message, reminded the teachers that learning does not end with the completion of training.  “As teachers, you need to continue to improve in what you’re doing.  You need to continue to evolve and find ways to improve how you teach.”

Archival encouraged the teachers to embrace innovation, stay organized, and continually seek better ways to serve children.  His message resonated with the objectives of the Montessori program, which seeks not only to improve teaching methods but also to foster a culture of lifelong learning among educators.

ECCD basic Montessori training program overview

Marivic Bathan, Founder and President of CPMS described the collaboration with the Cebu City government as a rare alignment between education advocates and local government leadership, particularly in prioritizing early childhood development.

Bathan shared that the initiative is an intensive 10-day training program conducted in two batches, carefully designed to match varying levels of experience among participants. The first batch consisted of 60 cluster heads, supervisors, and teachers who had previously attended three to four Montessori trainings.

They completed a 10-day Montessori Mentorship Training Program from May 18 to 30, focusing on advanced application, mentoring skills, and deepening Montessori practice in public early childhood centers.

The second batch of 203 ECCD teachers with little or no prior Montessori exposure, underwent a Basic Montessori Training Program from June 1 to 13, introducing foundational principles, classroom application, and child-centered methodologies

“This is very historic, we cannot readily find people in government who are so aligned with family and children. It is very fortunate for us that the city leadership understands that the window of opportunity to develop children is really during the first six years of life,” Bathan said.

She described the program as a model of public-private partnership, where government provides institutional reach and resources, while the private sector contributes expertise and specialized training. Bathan noted that the collaboration, which started in 2008, has now evolved into a structured mentorship and training system with post-evaluation components, and plans for continuity.

“This is how public-private partnerships should work, each brings something essential, and together we ensure that investment in education truly benefits children,” Bathan said.

Beyond methodology, CPMS emphasized the importance of preparing the “whole teacher.” The training integrated Montessori theory and practice with workshops on play therapy, non-violent communication, mental well-being, healthy living, environmental awareness, and organic gardening.

Teachers were also guided through experiential learning approaches when they created instructional materials that can be used in actual classrooms, Bathan added that the focus is really preparing the adult, emphasizing the Montessori triad of the child, the prepared environment, and the prepared adult.

“The program was designed not only to enhance skills but also to promote personal renewal and emotional resilience among educators.  We wanted transformation to start from within the teachers themselves,” Bathan said.

                                 Training Impact and future plan

Both the City government and CPMS highlight the importance of investing in training and materials for Montessori education, noting that the initiative began in 2018 and will continue until 2026, to empower and elevate the quality of ECCD teachers in Cebu City through the Montessori approach.

The mentorship program involves 10 days of training, culminating in a final session, and aims to transform teachers into leaders and mentors, preparing the adults to teach children effectively. The training will benefit all 263 ECCD teachers in Cebu City, with 60 of them receiving additional training and mentorship that continues for the next few months this year.

“Equipped with new skills and a deeper understanding of child development, the teachers are expected to help shape a stronger foundation for the city's future generations,” Archival said. (Photos: MBCNewman)