Why are Montessori schools so expensive and exclusive?
Montessori education is not intentionally designed to be expensive and exclusive. It was originally developed with and for children in the slums of Rome. Montessori programmes continue to be organised throughout the world for a variety of communities; and publicly funded Montessori programmes are increasing. However, throughout our history, many private, tuition-based programmes have also been organised where public funding was not available. The AMI website includes videos featuring accessible Montessori education around the world and highlights various initiatives through Educateurs sans Frontières.
![Montessori abacus material](https://montessori-ami.org/sites/default/files/images/questions/abacus.jpg)