Maria Antònia Canals i Tolosa is the key point of reference in the teaching of mathematics in early childhood education. She was a mathematician, educator and the co-founder of the Rosa Sensat Teachers’ Association. Canals studied to be a teacher at the Escola Normal de Tarragona i Ciències Exactes at the University of Barcelona. Throughout her career, she wanted to bring advanced educational approaches to the city’s peripheral neighbourhoods. She spearheaded the creation of the Ton i Guida school in Les Roquetes, where she was principal from the beginning in 1962 until 1980. During the 1960s and 1970s, the school was a trailblazer due to the innovative methodologies used. The pupils went on excursions and studied subjects such as art and music, and could express themselves in Catalan. In the 1980s, the school became part of the state school network and merged with the Pla de Fornells school to become what is now CEIP Antaviana. In recognition of its adoption of new educational approaches, it was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi in 2006.
A mathematician and pedagogue who followed Montessori and Piaget, she spearheaded the founding of the Ton i Guida school in the neighbourhoods of Verdun and Les Roquetes, which applied an advanced pedagogical model.