Proposal 1

The Home Extension

Montessori School (HEMS)

Expansion Plan

Proposal 2

Executive Summary

We strive to educate students as well as teachers through our

knowledge and experience. We have also trained Montessori directresses

and helpers. We want to expand our educational network and we look

forward to spreading our network in the northern areas of Pakistan,

especially FATA.

We have conducted market research about how to start new schools in

an economic way. This business plan provides very detailed discussion of all

major and minor aspects of running Montessori schools and teachers’

training centers. Since Pakistan is a developing country, delivery of

international level services demands that the service providers also taken

control of certain tools which would otherwise be outsourced in the

developed countries.

Therefore, we are also including details about the books we have

written, and publishing, as well as the Montessori equipment we have either

developed or sourced through special relationships with certain

manufacturers.

In this respect, we are looking forward of your help through which we

would be successful in achieving our goals. We have the required skills and

experience, the only area we lack is finances. With your help we can put

together our knowledge, skills and experience and help a poor and illiterate

populace to grow as responsible and productive citizens by educating its

youth .

Proposal 3

Montessori Schools

We have been in the primary education delivery business since 1998.

We utilize the Montessori Method which exposes children to amazing

amounts of knowledge. Montessori educated children often learn to read,

write and calculate beyond what is usually thought interesting to children of

their age group (1). HEMS’ co-founder is educated at, and HEMS is affiliated

with, Montessori Institute of America (2).

Teachers Training Centers

Throughout the 9 years or our existence, we have maintained a

very high profile regarding the experience and the qualification of our

teachers at our school. Few of them have been with us since the founding of

or organization, and have helped us in our teacher’s training department as

well. We have trained new teachers which we hired, with the help of these

existing ‘teachers + trainers’. Along with that, we have trained teachers of

other schools and have organized training courses for teachers from all over

Karachi and Rawalpindi. We intend to run formal training centers in the two

cities. The are many reasons to select these cities, and can be elaborated in

a different document.

Montessori Books

Proposal 4

We have written nine books for the children. They are of three different

subjects, i.e., English, Urdu, and Mathematics. All three subjects have three

different levels. The basic level is for the beginners, the intermediate level is

for the children who have been promoted to Kindergarten (KG-1). The expert

level is for the children of (KG-2). These books have been successfully used

not only in our school but in many other schools in Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Montessori Tools and Equipments

There is lack of knowledge in Pakistan regarding the Montessori

Method. Due to lack of finances, many schools demand aggressive pricing

from the manufacturers of Montessori material which causes them to

produce material which does not meet international Montessori standards.

Therefore, we have been manufacturing Montessori material for the past 5

years. We have manufactured materials which reflect Pakistani culture,

religion and language. Pakistan’s national language is Urdu, but most locally

manufactured as well as imported Montessori material is geared towards the

English language.

Proposal 5

Proposal 6

Table of Contents

Executive Summary.....................................................................................2

Montessori SchoolsTeachers Training Centers............................................................................2Montessori Books..........................................................................................3Montessori Tools and Equipments................................................................3Aims..............................................................................................................7Goals.............................................................................................................7

Objectives......................................................................................................8Site Selection................................................................................................8

Rental Space.................................................................................................8The Classroom..............................................................................................9

Furniture....................................................................................................9Montessori Material.................................................................................10Art Material..............................................................................................10Other Materials........................................................................................11

Local Facilities............................................................................................11New School Capital Budget......................................................................11

Montessori Apparatus.................................................................................11Practical Life...............................................................................................11Furniture.....................................................................................................12Office Furniture and Equipment..................................................................12Books..........................................................................................................12License and Occupancy Fees......................................................................12Building Repair...........................................................................................12

New School Operations Budget...............................................................13Program Revenues:....................................................................................13Operational Income....................................................................................13Program Related.........................................................................................13Administrative............................................................................................14Institutional (Space-Related)......................................................................15

Promotion....................................................................................................16Meetings.....................................................................................................16Publicity......................................................................................................16Telephone Listing.......................................................................................16Letterhead..................................................................................................17Brochure.....................................................................................................17

Starting Montessori Classes.....................................................................18A New Primary (Preschool) Class................................................................18Four-Year-Olds............................................................................................18Orientation..................................................................................................18Dividing the Day.........................................................................................19A New Elementary Class.............................................................................19

Teachers Training Center..........................................................................20

Proposal 7

Objectives...................................................................................................20Training Team.............................................................................................21Our Mission.................................................................................................21Facility........................................................................................................22

Renting a Facility.....................................................................................23Furniture.....................................................................................................23Office Furniture and Equipment..................................................................24Montessori Materials...................................................................................24Art Material.................................................................................................24Other Materials...........................................................................................24Program Revenues:....................................................................................25Operational Income....................................................................................25Program Related.........................................................................................25Administrative............................................................................................26Institutional (Space-Related)......................................................................27Promotion...................................................................................................27

Montessori Books.......................................................................................29Publishing...................................................................................................29Price............................................................................................................29Patent.........................................................................................................30Promotion and marketing...........................................................................30Future Plans................................................................................................30Expenses...................................................................................................31

Space.......................................................................................................31Transportation.........................................................................................31Marketing................................................................................................31Delivering................................................................................................31Extra expenses........................................................................................32

Montessori Tools and Equipments..........................................................33Our Goal.....................................................................................................33Objectives...................................................................................................33Manufacturing............................................................................................34Facility........................................................................................................34Other Expenses..........................................................................................35Transportation............................................................................................35Extra expenses...........................................................................................35Marketing....................................................................................................36Promotion and marketing...........................................................................36Future Plans................................................................................................36

Proposal 8

Aims

1) To establish Montessori schools in Karachi, Rawalpindi and FATA

2) To establish teacher’s training centers in Karachi and Rawalpindi

3) To publish books for students and teachers.

4) To manufacture Montessori tools and equipment to cater to

Pakistani cultural needs

Goals

1) To provide quality education to large number of Pakistanis,

especially in FATA

2) To train teachers according to the International Montessori

Standards

3) To make latest Montessori teaching techniques and tools available

to students

Proposal 9

Objectives

Our mission is to setup schools which would educate poor children of

uneducated parents. As we have mentioned that we have been running our

own school, therefore, we have the required experience and skills to

establish and operate such schools.

Site Selection

Rental Space

We are currently operating our school in an 8,000 sq.ft. facility. The

property is up for sale by the owner so we have been notified to move out. If

we rented a similar place, it will cost us around Rs. 70,000 - Rs.

80,000/month ($1,167-$1,333).

Classrooms

We prefer to have classrooms which are big and airy. An ideal

Montessori classroom is sunny and spacious but draft-free, with low windows,

and a tile or wood floor. Ideally, washrooms are located just off the

classroom with child-sized toilets and low sinks. Classrooms are often

finished with acoustical ceiling tile and curtains in cool pastels. Child-height

water sources and drinking fountains are nice features. Our experience with

adopting Montessori tools and techniques will help us design Montessori

Proposal 10

environments in FATA where living conditions are much different from

Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Furniture

Furniture styles would vary according to the classes and rooms.

Furniture would consist of chairs, benches, table shelves, desks and

cupboards. Shelves would be light in color, child-sized, and not in excess of

eight inches wide for easy access. The tables and the desks would be of

different shapes and sizes. The furniture would cost us around Rs.250,000-

300,000 ($4,167-$5,000).

Montessori Apparatus and Material

We are planning to setup a professional Montessori environment, just

like the desired International Montessori Standards. A Montessori school is

equipped with more than 100 different types of Montessori Apparatus,

classified into Sensorial Material, Language Material, Arithmetic Material and

so on. Practical Life Exercises, through the use of Sensorial Material, instill

care for themselves, for others and the environment. The activities include

many of the tasks children see as part of daily life. They learn to work at a

task from beginning to end, build cognitive efficacy and learn to order and

classify impressions. They do this by touching, seeing, smelling, tasting,

listening and exploring the physical properties of their environment through

the mediation of these specially designed materials. For that purpose we

Proposal 11

would need Montessori Apparatus. The estimated cost of Montessori

materials would be somewhere around Rs.1,800,000-2,000,000 ($30,000-

$33,333).

Art Material

Focus on arts is a new concept in Pakistan. Schools generally don’t

focus much on the art/drawing classes. However, we have planned that we

will concentrate on the art/drawing classes as well. For the art/drawing

classes we would need special materials. Rs.20,000-30,000

($333-$500)/month.

Other Materials

Others materials which would be required are the basic equipments

used in the schools such as black/white board, stationeries, tape recorder,

speakers (installed in all the classes), microphone, projector, computers,

swings, etc. Rs.500,000-600,000 ($8,333-$10,000).

Local Facilities

The facility will be fully equipped with panic bars, exit lights, fire alarm

pull stations, fire exits, and safety plugs. Rs.60,000-80,000 ($1,000-$1,333)

New School Capital Budget

Proposal 12

The following are capital budget items—those expenses which deal

with furniture, fixtures, and non-consumable Montessori hardware.

Montessori Apparatus

Preschool or Elementary $30,000-$33,333 (for one classroom) in

Karachi or Rawalpindi. The cost will be considerably lower in FATA because it

is highly likely that we will have to curtail scope in FATA.

Practical Life

Preschool $550-$880—equipment for washing, pouring, polishing, food

preparation, eating, etc. (per classroom).

Furniture

Preschool or Elementary $3,000-$4,000—includes chairs, tables, and

bricks and boards to build shelving (per classroom).

Office Furniture and Equipment

Budget $700-$3,500. Much equipment is available used, but options

such as a computer or laminator are very expensive.

Books

Budget $500-$1,000 per class. There is nothing like beautiful books,

although used books are sometimes better than new. We would be setting

up a library as well for the young ones.

Proposal 13

License and Occupancy Fees

Budget $500-$1,000 per class.

Building Repair

Refurbishing a classroom depends strictly on the condition of the site

and the standards of the school. Though the locality is adequately

maintained but still there are few things which are to be modified to give it a

better look.

New School Operations Budget

The following are the projected revenues.

Program Revenues:

Montessori fees: Rs.700 ($12)/student

Primary fees: Rs.800 ($14)/student

Operational Income

Tuition and Fees

Application Fees

Program Related Expenses

Proposal 14

Salaries: it would vary according to the number of teachers hired. An

estimated salary of a highly trained teacher is Rs.15,000-20,000 ($250-

334)/teacher. For the helpers it is around Rs.5,000-8,000

($84-134)/helper.

Payroll Taxes: there are numerous kinds of taxes which are to be paid

if we are running a school. These include Teacher security tax,

Teachers old age benefit tax, Commercial use of locality tax, etc. the

taxes are all in all around Rs.30,000-40,000 ($500-667).

Fringe Benefits: small perks and bonuses are often given to the

employees. Especially near any event which is highly celebrated in

Pakistan. Rs.40,000-50,000 ($667-843)/year.

Professional Development: trainings, increments and promotions are

also an area which is extremely supported at our place. The cost can

vary.

Books: other than the course books, the library books are also a big

charm for the student. Rs.50,000-80,000 ($843-1,334)/year.

Supplies: office supplies and stationary, for the management and for

the students, are mainly the major expenses. Rs.15,000 ($250)/month.

Services: extra helpers, who indirectly support the school, such as the

gatekeeper and the drivers are also given good salaries. Rs.25,000-

30,000 ($417-500)/month.

Administrative

Proposal 15

Insurance: insurance of the whole vicinity plus the furniture would cost

around Rs.30,000-40,000 ($500-667)/month.

Equipment Maintenance and Repair: equipments such as the swings,

slides and see-saw needs regular inspection and maintenance.

Aquarium, computers, printers and other devices also need regular

inspection. Rs.15,000 ($250)/month.

Miscellaneous: daily expenses which can occur due to any kind of

shortage or mishaps. An example would be of the generator which

would be used to provide electricity if incase the electricity shortage.

Institutional (Space-Related)

Mortgage (or rent): rent would be of Rs.45,000-50,000 ($750-

834)/month.

Utilities: electricity bill, telephone bill, gas bill, water bill etc.

Rs.25,000-40,000 ($417-667)/month. Due to unpredictability of

electricity, we will have to plan for generators and UPS systems.

Maintenance and Supplies: the facility doesn’t undergo major

construction or adjustments process that often, but we do consider it

twice a year. Rs.50,000 ($834)/year

Marketing

Meetings

Proposal 16

We have been using different methods to promote our Montessori

school. We have publicized public meetings and open houses, which allows

the public to meet new teachers and see the prepared environment. We

have also organized public meetings, which included a video presentation

and a speaker: a Montessori guest professional, a parent from a more

established school and a newly selected teacher for your school. We are

planning to do the same at high scale for this project (HEMS).

Publicity

We have done publicity through newspapers, local radio, community

newsletters, community television, banners and pamphlets. According to our

local survey which we did, distributing pamphlets and placing banners were

the most profitable for us, so we are looking forward of doing the same

successful advertisement campaign.

Telephone Listing

A telephone listing in both the white and the yellow pages is a must.

We have planned to list our school phone numbers listed in the white and the

yellow pages.

Letterhead

We would prepare a school letterhead with logo, address, and

telephone number written on it.

Proposal 17

Brochure

The brochure which we used, for advertising and as for a catalog, had

the following things in it:

Identification of the school

Address and phone number

Statement of philosophy

Brief description of program characteristics

Program description for each age level

Admissions procedure

Tuition

Faculty and administrative staff list

Biographical sketch of Maria Montessori

Recommended Montessori books

Question and answer series explaining Montessori education

Map showing location

Good, clear photos

Non-discrimination clause

Starting Montessori Classes

A New Primary (Preschool) Class

Proposal 18

The new primary (3-6) class accepts two-and-one-half- to three-and-

one-half-year-olds, with a suggested starting peer group of about 8 to 15

children, reaching 25 to 35 children per classroom in the third year.

Four-Year-Olds

Admission of four-year-olds is discretionary and may be necessary, but

should be carefully considered as the older children constitute the leaders of

the class.

Orientation

Shorter periods of orientation (less than three hours) should be

established for the first two weeks for groups of four or five children each.

The full operating class comes into formation with full morning sessions once

the children feel safe and confident enough to function independently. A

parent orientation provides the essential communication for this period.

Dividing the Day

A school day is usually three hours per morning five days a week, with

an additional one and a half to two and a half hours in the afternoon for

third-year children who are five and over (the "extended day"). Limiting

classroom use to one group of children allows for more creative use of the

environment, more personal bonding with the class, and better-quality

Montessori.

Proposal 19

A New Elementary Class

Generally it takes three preschool classes to feed one starting

elementary class, assuming a retention rate of about one-third of those

graduating from the preschool. After some years, the retention rate may

increase to as high as eighty percent, and this growth will need to be

accommodated. Children without Montessori background can be admitted

but should have good skills and good behavior. It can also be effective, if

necessary, to bring back older graduates who have been out of Montessori

for a year and want to return. Minimum skills to look for are phonetic

reading, numeral recognition to 1,000, and letter formation in process. Good

independent choice-making and work habits are some desirable non-

academic qualities. Although somewhat subjective, a minimum group of

children the same age should be about six with optimal results occurring

with eight or more.

Teachers Training Center

Throughout these 9 years we have maintained a very high profile

regarding the experience and the qualification of our teachers at our school.

Few of them have been with us for the start and they have helped us in our

teacher’s training department as well. Throughout these 8 years, we have

trained new teachers which we hired, with the help of these existing

‘teachers + trainers’. Along with that, we have trained teachers of different

school and have set training courses for teachers from all over Karachi. Our

Proposal 20

experienced team also visited Rawalpindi (a city in Punjab) and delivered a 2

months training course. This year as well they are conducting a training

course in Rawalpindi.

Objectives

Our main aim is to teach those teachers who end up teaching our

youth in various cities in Pakistan. This training is not only for those who

want to avail these courses but for those as well who have the interest but

they can’t afford it. We have planned that we will privately contact teachers

as well who teach in different low profile schools, to join us and get trained

free of charge. This will help them in this way that when they go back and

teach the poor children, they themselves would be more knowledgeable than

before and could educate better. This can bring a revolutionary change, at

low level, in an uneducated country such as Pakistan.

Training Team

One of our key trainers has a one year certificate in Montessori

learning from ‘Montessori teacher’s preparation’, Washington, USA. She also

has a one year diploma in the same field from ‘London school of Montessori

teacher’s training’, Pakistan. She has a teaching and training experience of 9

years. She is currently conducting a course in Rawalpindi regarding the

Montessori Learning.

Proposal 21

Another key trainer is a highly experienced teacher from a very

recognized school of Pakistan. She has been teaching in the ‘Falcon House

Grammar School’, Karachi, for the past 35 years, before she joined us. She

has a vast experience and she is now helping other new teaches to gain from

her knowledge and experience, by training them at our school.

Our Mission

With the help of our experienced team, we are planning to educate

teachers not only in Karachi but also in the northern areas. We have planned

that we would go to different places and will organize the training session,

similar to what we have been doing from the past 8 years. The biggest

unfortunate incident which we have here in Pakistan is that although we are

ready to provide education but people themselves are not highly trained. We

plan to educate teachers and polish their skills so that they can further

transfer their experience, knowledge and skills to the young ones.

We want to educate the Montessori directresses and the helpers about

the International Montessori Standards which are unfortunately not followed

correctly in Pakistan due to lack of knowledge. But our trainer has earned a

diploma in Montessori learning from the ‘Montessori teacher’s preparation’,

Washington, USA, thus she knows the International Montessori Standards.

We want to spread her knowledge and educate other Montessori directresses

so that we Pakistanis should also start following the ever successful method

of Maria Montessori in the correct manner.

Proposal 22

Facility

We have decided that we will start the teacher’s training at the same

facility, in the evening, where we would be running the Montessori school, in

the morning. Though this would be a cost effective option but the

disadvantage is that here most of the women are not encouraged to go out

of their houses once it starts getting dark. Therefore, we assume that we will

have less strength if we give the training in the evening.

On the other hand, we can choose a different place nearby and can

equip it with all the required materials. We can take it on rent. If we start the

training in the morning, there is a bigger chance of a higher strength coming

in. This way it would be easy for us to obtain our goal, which is to educate

teachers and to make them aware of the International Montessori Standards.

Renting a Facility

The room specifications and the requirements would remain the same.

Therefore, taking a facility like this on rent would cost around Rs.45,000-

50,000 ($750-834)/month.

Furniture

Unlike in a school, we would need an altogether different type of

furniture setup in the training center. The tables and chairs would be

different as we would be accommodating adult females. Furniture would

Proposal 23

consist of chairs, benches, tables shelves, desk and cupboards. The tables

and the desks would be of different shapes and sizes. The furniture would

cost us around Rs.200,000-250,000 ($3,334-4,167).

Office Furniture and Equipment

Budget $700-$3,500. Much equipment is available used, but options

such as a computer or laminator are very expensive.

Montessori Materials

For the teachers to see and use the Montessori materials they are

learning, we have to keep the training center fully equipped with all the

Montessori materials required. The estimated cost of Montessori materials

would be somewhere around Rs.300,000-350,000 ($5,000-5,834).

Art Material

Schools generally don’t focus much on the art/drawing classes but we

have decided that we will train our teachers in this regard as well, as we

believe that art and craft is a big part of our culture and we should respect it.

For the art/drawing classes we would need special art related materials.

Rs.5,000 ($84)/month.

Proposal 24

Other Materials

Others materials which would be required are the basic equipments

used in the raining centers such as black/white board, stationeries, tape

recorder, speakers(installed in all the classes), microphone, projector,

computers, photo copier, printers, scanners etc. Rs.300,000-350,000

($5,000-5,834).

Program Revenues:

The programs will vary. They could either be an over view of a

subject/course or could be on a detailed topic of a specific subject. Thus the

prices will also vary accordingly.

Estimated price would be Rs.1,000-1,200 ($17-20)/Student.

Operational Income

Tuition and Fees

Application Fees

Program Related

Salaries: it would vary according to the number of teachers hired. An

estimated salary of a highly trained teacher is Rs.15,000-20,000 ($250-

334)/teacher.

Payroll Taxes: there are numerous kinds of taxes which are to be paid

if we are running a school. These include Teacher security tax,

Proposal 25

Teachers old age benefit tax, Commercial use of locality tax, etc. the

taxes are all in all around Rs.30,000-40,000 ($500-667).

Fringe Benefits: small perks and bonuses are often given to the

employees. Especially near any event which is highly celebrated in

Pakistan. Rs.40,000-50,000 ($667-843)/year.

Professional Development: trainings, increments and promotions are

also an area which is extremely supported at our place. The cost can

vary.

Books: other than the course books, the library books are also a big

charm for the student. Rs.50,000-80,000 ($843-1,334)/year.

Supplies: office supplies and stationary, for the management and for

the students, are mainly the major expenses. Rs.15,000 ($250)/month.

Services: extra helpers, who indirectly support the school, such as the

gatekeeper and the drivers are also given good salaries. Rs.25,000-

30,000 ($417-500)/month.

Administrative

Insurance: insurance of the whole vicinity plus the furniture would cost

around Rs.30,000-40,000 ($500-667)/month.

Equipment Maintenance and Repair: equipments such as the

computers, printers and other devices need regular inspection and

maintenance. Rs.15,000 ($250)/month.

Proposal 26

Miscellaneous: daily expenses which can occur due to any kind of

shortage or mishaps. An example would be of the generator which

would be used to provide electricity if incase the electricity shortage.

Institutional (Space-Related)

Mortgage (or rent): rent would be of Rs.45,000-50,000 ($750-

834)/month.

Utilities: electricity bill, telephone bill, gas bill, water bill etc.

Rs.25,000-40,000 ($417-667)/month

Maintenance and Supplies: the facility doesn’t undergo major

construction or adjustments process that often, but we do consider it

twice a year. Rs.50,000 ($834)/year

Promotion

We have been providing teachers training for such a long time that

now we don’t need major steps regarding advertising. But it’s always advised

to advertise before running an endeavor. With the past experiences, we have

learned that the best outcome we got was by advertising through brochures

and running an advertisement on the local TV channels. Especially in major

seasons like June and July, we can do heavy advertising to attract more

teachers. The advertising would vary according to the season but an overall

estimate would be of Rs.200,000-250,000 ($3,334-4,167)

Proposal 27

Proposal 28

Montessori Books

We have written nine books for the children. They are of three different

subjects i.e. English, Mathematics and Urdu. All three subjects have three

different levels. The basic level is for the beginners, the intermediate level is

for the children who have been promoted to Kindergarten (KG-1). The expert

level is for the children of (KG-2). These books have been successfully

running not only in our school but in many other schools in Karachi and

Rawalpindi. Our books are critically acclaimed by the ‘Villa Children

academy’ which is affiliated with the American Montessori International

(AMI), USA.

Publishing

The new batch of our books will be printed and published in Philippines

under the supervision of Normi (a Montessori Directress, a school owner, and

a student of ‘Montessori teacher’s preparation’, Washington, USA). She

herself has written many books and after looking at our books, she has

decided to publish them in Philippines. We are looking forward to eventually

making our books available all over Pakistan.

Price

The price per book varies according to the number of outputs. It is of

simple mathematics that the more number of copies we print, the less would

be the total cost. After printing the last batch we estimated that the cost of 1

Proposal 29

book was around Rs.60 ($1.00) and it was sold in the market for Rs.100

($1.60)/book.

Patent

Our books are copyrighted, which we filed in Pakistan therefore nobody

else has the right to publish or copy our books. We have been selling our

books for the past 3 years.

Promotion and marketing

Due to the different nature of product, we can’t do mass marketing for

selling our books. Instead, we have hired two people who go to different

schools and promote our books by presenting them to the principal or the

person in-charge. The other approach, we are planning to take, is to sell the

books through the Internet.

Future Plans

We and our Pilipino source have decided that we will introduce those

books which are currently running in the recognized school of Philippines.

Soon we will be marketing those books as well.

Expenses

Space

Proposal 30

As the nature of business only demands a warehouse, we don’t need a

big and furnished place for keeping our books. We can keep the stock in the

store room or in the garage of one of our existing facility.

Transportation

We would need a pick-up truck for the transportation of our books. We

can use this truck for all the purposes i.e. for the transportation of books,

school materials, furniture, Montessori materials etc. Rs.600,000-950,000

($10,000-15,000)

Marketing

We would be hiring few men who would go out and promote our books

at different Montessori and schools. Rs.10,000 ($167)/employee.

Delivering

We have been selling our books in Rawalpindi and Islamabad as well.

For to send the books, we have to send them through train delivery. This

costs around Rs.10,000-15,000 ($167-250)/10kg

Extra expenses

These include all the small payments which are involved in the

publishing and transportation of books. The labor which is involved in

Proposal 31

handling the books and the gas required to deliver the books with in the city.

Rs.1,000 ($17)/day.

Future Plans

Once our books are in demand in Pakistan, Philippines and elsewhere,

we can move part of our printing operation to FATA to kick-start the book

publishing business in FATA.

Proposal 32

Montessori Tools and Equipments

As mentioned above, there is a lack of knowledge, in Pakistan,

regarding the Montessori Method. We still do not use the professional

equipment which are required in a Montessori school. Due to lack of finances

as well, we find many “Montessori” schools which are not equipped with all

the required apparatus and material. We have been manufacturing

Montessori tools for the past 5 years. We have manufactured different

materials which reflect our culture, religion and language. Pakistan’s national

language is Urdu, but most locally manufactured as well as imported

Montessori material is geared towards the English language.

Our Goal

Looking at this, we decided to manufacture materials which would

make it easy for the students to learn Urdu. Along with that, we have

manufactured few other Montessori materials which are solely our own idea.

Those materials will assist the teachers in gaining attention and interest of a

child. We have sold few of our manufactured materials and now we are

looking forward to sell our material throughout Pakistan.

Objectives

We encourage our teachers and trainees to sit and brainstorm together

and come up with different tools and methods through which we can make

the life of a student as well as the teacher easy. There are different ways of

Proposal 33

performing the standard methods or exercises given by Maria Montessori.

We work over new techniques which could enhance our abilities to do the

same as what she has suggested and along with that, we seek of additional

learning which we can learn while doing it. Simultaneous efforts and multiple

results are what we are looking for. We want the child to gain as much as he

can while he is using any kind of material.

Facility

For the manufacturing of Montessori material we wood need a

relatively small place. A 400 yards facility would be more than enough to

start off. If we take a place on rent, it would cost us around Rs.35,000-50,000

($584-834)/month.

Other Expenses

Although we have been manufacturing Montessori materials for the

past 5 years, we have not done that on a big scale. There are major concepts

waiting in the pipeline which are yet to be manufactured because of the

shortage of funds. We plan to execute those plans in the favor of the

students. The classification of expenses is listed below:

1. Wood Rs.200,000-250,000 ($3,334-4,167)

2. Cutters (big and small) Rs.8,000-10,000 ($134-167)

3. Big Tables Rs.30,000 ($500)

4. Different Mechanical tools Rs.50,000-80,000 ($834-1,334)

Proposal 34

5. Other materials (glue, lights etc) Rs.10,000 ($167)

6. Art material Rs.5,000 ($84)/month

Transportation

We would need a pick-up truck for the transportation of our Montessori

Materials. We can use this truck for all the purposes i.e. getting the raw

material to selling the finished goods. Rs.300,000-350,000 ($5,000-5,834)

Extra expenses

These include all the small payments which are involved in the

manufacturing and transportation of Montessori materials. The labor which is

involved in handling the material and the gas required to deliver the books

with in the city. Rs.2,000 ($34)/day

Sales

We would hire few men who would go out and promote our Montessori

materials at different Montessoris and schools. Rs.10,000 ($167)/employee.

Promotion and marketing

We can do mass marketing for to promote our materials. We can place

our ads in the newspapers, we can use flyers, brochures, pamphlets and can

give an advertisement in the local TV channel. Along with that we will have

to hire two people who will go to different schools and promote our materials

Proposal 35

by presenting them to the principal or the person in-charge. The other way

which we have been planning is to advertise our materials on the internet.

Future Plans

We and our Pilipino source have decided that we will trade Montessori

materials from her. She also has an interest in manufacturing Montessori

materials. We will import latest Montessori materials from her and will export

the materials which we will manufacture here. Once we have our create

demand for our material, we can start producing them not only in Karachi,

but also in FATA to boost the morale of FATA residents that they are involved

in helping educate the world.

Proposal 36

Bibliography

(1) http://www.montessori.edu/info.html#teachdetails

(2) http://miaworld.org/sub/sub06-01.htm

(3)