Nepal Montessori Training Centre (NMTC) was founded in 2001 by Ms. Pawitra Limbu, at a time when Montessori education was still relatively new and little understood in Nepal. Specialised training for educators working with young children was unfamiliar, and early education was often viewed simply as teaching children the alphabet.
Ms. Pawitra Limbu founded NMTC to introduce a different approach to early childhood education, guided by the belief that a child is not a miniature adult, but a person in their own right, with their own choices, interests, personality and aspirations. She believed educators should understand each child’s development and create environments that support it.
At a time when people would ask, “What is Montessori?”, NMTC introduced the Montessori method, its principles and philosophy to educators in Nepal.
NMTC combined practical training with an understanding of how young children learn and develop. The training also opened pathways for women to build careers in early childhood education through professional training and employment opportunities.
Since then, NMTC has trained more than 8,000 educators, many of whom have carried this learning into classrooms and communities across Nepal. What began with introducing Montessori has grown into a legacy carried forward by generations of educators. Today, NMTC continues this work, with a lasting contribution to how young children are understood, respected and supported in Nepal.