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How Montessori Spread Around the World: An AI Research Experiment | October 2026

This video is an experimental animation created by BAMBINO using research assisted by ChatGPT Astra with a very high reasoning setting. It draws on public information from schools, organisations and publications. It is not the result of a comprehensive academic study or independent expert validation. We recognise that its accuracy still needs improvement, including gaps in coverage and uncertainty in dates and assessments.

We are publishing this edition, dated 12 October 2026, to document how far AI can currently help us investigate, organise and visualise this subject.

Over the past couple of months, we at BAMBINO have felt substantial progress in what AI tools can help us do. Alongside writing and creating videos, flyers, websites and apps, we see potential in using AI to find and connect information scattered across the world. How much will this research capability change over the next year?

We plan to revisit this topic every six months and review the data, assessments and animation. We will record new sources, corrections and changes to the criteria as we explore the possibilities and limitations of AI-assisted research.

The video starts with Maria Montessori’s birth in 1870, then follows the first Children’s House in 1907 and the international spread of classrooms and teacher training. A world map and country bars trace this story, ending with our current assessment of 206 countries and territories.

The numbers are not percentages of children attending Montessori schools. Historical sections combine documented events with editorial reference points. Decimals such as 2.5 or 2.8 and smooth growth between dates are visual interpolation, not annual measurements or verified world rankings. The order of countries at level 5 does not indicate superiority. Historical zeroes may represent a period of dormancy, without ruling out surviving practice. The map uses present-day borders.

How the six-level scale works

The scale runs from 0 to 5, giving six levels. We consider actual provision for children, age ranges, elementary programmes, public and private school numbers, teacher training and support. AMI and AMS are central sources, but documented provision outside these organisations is also included. We assign the highest level whose criteria are supported.

Our approach draws on Coburn’s work on the spread and sustainability of school reform (2003), the EEF’s review of implementation in education (2024), and the OECD and partners’ guide to constructing indicators (2008). The levels and numerical thresholds below are BAMBINO’s provisional choices, not validated cut-offs established by these publications.

0 — White
No specific, usable evidence of activity or contact confirmed. Names or country-level estimates alone do not earn a score. This does not establish that there are no Montessori schools.

1 — Pale cream
Specific contact is documented, such as training, participation abroad, organisational activity or historical schools. Current provision for children is unconfirmed.

2 — Light yellow
At least one current school, regular classroom or partial implementation is documented, but higher-level criteria remain unconfirmed.

3 — Soft golden yellow
At least two distinct practice records, provision in both the 0–3 and 3–6 age bands, or at least one school offering the full elementary programme is confirmed. Records are not national school totals.

4 — Orange
At least two school organisations offer the full elementary programme, or at least one does so alongside a 6–12 training pathway or documented staff development and operational support for that school. Training alone does not qualify.

5 — Red
The full elementary programme is confirmed in at least two public school organisations or five private school organisations. Branches and classes within the same school organisation are not counted as separate schools.

“Full elementary” generally refers to ages 6–12; national equivalents are recorded with their original ages and grades. Ages 12–15 and 15–18 are also recorded but do not automatically qualify a country for level 5. Land-area adjustments are not used in the main assessment. The same level does not mean equal school numbers, participation or educational quality. These criteria primarily describe the current assessment; they have not been applied consistently to every historical year. This is not an official AMI or AMS rating.