Margaret Lyttle took over Australia's oldest alternative school, Preshil (in Melbourne), when her aunt Greta Lyttle died in 1944, continuing to guide the school according to her aunt's principle that learning is a process of human mutuality. Preshil's approach is fundamentally concerned with the qualities of relationship between children and their teachers and respects the individual differences among children. In privileging individual needs, interests and capacities, the school discourages conformity and competitiveness. Her peers respect Lyttle as one of Australia's most influential and innovative educators.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2003
© Eva Collins
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