Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746 -1827)  was the founder of several educational institutions in Switzerland and wrote many works explaining his revolutionary modern principles of education. He believed in both the ability of every individual human being to learn and in the right of every individual to education. 

Pestalozzi was particularly focused on the power of education to help the poor. He was concerned when children in poor communities did not go to school. When they did, the education was often useless for their needs. Pestalozzi sought to provide them with an education that would make them independent and able to improve their own lives.

Pestalozzi believed that such education should develop the powers of ‘Head’, ‘Heart’ and ‘Hands’. In other words, we help children best by putting equal emphasis on character, practical life skills and cognitive development. He believed that this would help develop independent individuals who know what is right and what is wrong, and who live accordingly.