 “Waldorf education is based upon the recognition that the four bodies of the human being develop and mature at different times.” — Waldorf teacher Roberto Trostli INCARNATION Seven-Year Phases One of the key concepts underlying Waldorf education is the idea that children develop through a succession of seven-year-long phases. [See “Most Significant”.] And what happens during these phases? The child undergoes multiple “births”, incarnating various invisible “bodies.” The Waldorf curriculum is geared to these incarnations. To start our examine of this surpassingly strange matter, let’s define some terms. etheric body, or etheric form, or etheric organism
astral body, or astral organization
I, or ego, or ego being, or ego organization
OK. Having defined our terms, let’s look at some items from the Waldorf Watch “News” and "Daily Quotes" pages. Among other advantages, this will remind us that Steiner’s occult doctrines still rule the Waldorf roost today. These items also expand the discussion to include other central Waldorf beliefs. In this sense, what you are about to read presents a fairly comprehensive portrait of Waldorf schooling as it exists in the world today. Because the items were written as separate pieces rather than as sections of a single essay, you will discover some repetition and overlap. If you come across material you are already familiar with, please just skip ahead. From the News  When parents choose and defend Steiner schooling, do they understand what they have gotten involved in? In many instances, probably not. They may love the schools and the teachers, but often they do not know the doctrines underlying the Steiner approach. Teachers at Steiner schools believe that children gradually incarnate three invisible bodies; the Steiner curriculum is geared to these incarnations. The first of the invisible bodies is the "etheric body," which comes at about age 7 when children lose their baby teeth. Later the "astral body" and the "ego body" or "I" are incarnated. After the four human bodies are all in place, the astral and ego bodies fly up to the spirit realm every night, while the physical and etheric bodies stay earthbound. “Here (left) we have the physical body and the ether body (yellow). It fills the whole of the physical body. And here (right) we have the astral body, which is outside the human being at night (red). At the top it is very small and hugely bulging down below. Then we have the I (violet). This is how we are at night. We are two people in the night." — Rudolf Steiner, BLACKBOARD DRAWINGS 1919-1924 (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2003), p. 102. [R.R. sketch, 2009, based on image in the book.] All four bodies reunite in the morning, as Steiner indicated by the arrows. But, what does this have to do with Steiner schooling? "The answer can be found in Waldorf's alternative theory of child development, which is based on Rudolf Steiner's claivoyant insight on the human being. The timing of this proscription against reading corresponds with the 'cutting of the teeth,' which Steiner indicated as a developmental milestone, with the incarnation of the etheric body in children. Steiner says early reading will hinder the later spiritual development of children." — Open Waldorf, a Web site that essentially defends Steiner schooling. The Steiner approach raises several questions that parents need to mull over: Do you thinking reading is harmful for children? Do you believe in clairvoyance? Do you believe in the etheric body? Or, to boil all this down: Do you want your children to be taught reading in a timely manner, or do you want to wait for the children's etheric bodies to incarnate first?  "Steiner Pupils Set to Fail Standards “Her kids are set to fail at school every year until they're about 11 years old – but mum Monica Brice couldn't care less. “Along with 151 other Wellington [New Zealand] families, Mrs Brice is imploring Education Minister Anne Tolley not to judge her children against national standards which she says will be impossible for them to meet. “The parents of children at Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School in Lower Hutt are upset their school has to implement national standards, when the holistic philosophy of Steiner education means children do not start learning to read until they are seven... “However, the state-integrated schools have their operational costs met by the taxpayer, which means they must comply. Nationwide 55 schools are still breaking the law by not including national standards targets in their charters. “The controversial policy benchmarks children academically against standards in years 1 to 8. “Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School principal Karen Brice-Geard, who is on the Federation of Rudolf Steiner Schools in New Zealand, confirmed she was negotiating with the Education Ministry. ‘We are trying to find a way that we can be compliant and retain our special character.’ “Mrs Tolley said the schools chose to receive government funding rather than be private. “National standards were not optional, and the school could explain to parents not to expect children to meet the standards straight away.” [11-5-2011http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5913406/Steiner-pupils-set-to-fail-standards/] Steiner or Waldorf schools do not teach reading until the students’ “etheric bodies” incarnate at age 7, an event marked by the loss of baby teeth. [See “Incarnation”.] If this sound nutty to you — welcome to Steiner education. Steiner schools claim that their students catch up sooner or later, but there is little firm evidence. According to Steiner belief, the “astral body” incarnates at about age 14, after which children are better able to think for themselves. Proving these strange concepts is difficult, since the etheric and astral bodies are invisible. When Steiner schools accept public funding, they may cause headaches for themselves, as we see in this case. Just as parents sometimes don't realize what is really going on in the Steiner schools that they find so pleasant and attractive, Steiner faculties sometimes don't realize what they are letting themselves in for when they reach into the public till. If we accept that the educational policies put in place by education officials in various countries are based on solid research, then we must hope that the officials uphold these policies and apply them to all schools, including Steiner schools.   “I experienced another delightful and informative parent evening in my daughter’s class at the Emerson Waldorf School [North Carolina, USA] ... Our teacher then shared with us some basic information ... She explained the 3 stages of development and the role we play as parents ... Ages 0-7 — Parents are like 'priests' in the sense that we make the decisions for the schedule, the routines, the meals, the clothes, when it is play time, when it is bedtime, etc. ... Once a child starts to lose their [baby] teeth [s/he enters] a new growth phase for ages 7-14. Our role now becomes that of benevolent Queens and Kings ... By the time hormonal changes take place — for some it will be earlier than later [sic] — they will begin the next phase of development — for ages 14-21. Your role is now that of a Shepherd.” [10-26-2010 http://thiswaldorflife.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/the-parents-role/] There is no factual basis for the notion that childhood consists of three seven-year stages, but this is one of the handy fallacies Waldorf schools like to promote, and it is central to the Waldorf curriculum. (Steiner emphasized the number seven because of its occult significance — he taught that seven is the number of perfection. Thus, he spoke of seven planets in the solar system and seven stages of earthly evolution. Such bogus patterns excite Steiner’s followers.) You may also want to bear in mind that if you are a “priest” for your child, Waldorf teachers consider themselves higher priests (bishops, as it were), passing the Word to you. You supervise your child while Waldorf teachers supervise you. (Notice how the blogger refers to her child’s teacher as “our teacher” — one who instructs both child and parent.) The overriding Waldorf attitude toward parents is that, until they are fully sucked inside the Anthroposophical universe, parents are outsiders who should be told as little as possible about what really happens inside Waldorf schools. [See. e.g., “Faculty Meetings”.] "A word from the teacher: Our school follows the teachings of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner ... The aim of our school is to provide an unhurried and creative learning environment where children can find joy in learning and develop the confidence they need to express themselves and discover the world around them. The curriculum gives equal importance to a child's physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs. It is designed to work in harmony with the different phases of the child's development." [10-11-2010 http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/School-wants-children-discover-joy-learning/article-2741320-detail/article.html] It is always difficult to determine when a Waldorf or Steiner representative is telling the simple truth and when s/he is dissembling. The account given by this teacher may be perfectly sincere, or it may be a set of misleading remarks concealing a deep commitment to Anthroposophical occultism. For instance, does this teacher not realize that describing Steiner as an "Austrian philosopher" omits 99% of the truth about him? Or consider this: The “spiritual needs” of children can be met only if some form of spiritual belief system is used. At a Waldorf school, this will almost certainly be Anthroposophy (with its doctrines of karma, reincarnation, evolution, racial hierarchies, demonic possession, and so forth). Likewise, the “phases” of childhood can be comprehended only as seen through the prism of a particular theory of childhood development. At Waldorf schools, this usually means thinking that children go through seven-year-long phases during which invisible bodies manifest, innate links to life before birth (and previous incarnations) grow dim, new clairvoyant powers begin to develop, racial identity and “temperament” assert themselves, demons or hidden doubles wrestle with guardian angels, and so on. It is possible to read too much into statements coming out of Waldorf schools, but it is also possible to read too little into them. The root cause is that the schools have a long history of intentional deceit, begun by Steiner himself at the first Waldorf school. Don’t tell outsiders what we do here, he said repeatedly, don’t shout out our secrets; e.g., “Imagine what people would say if they heard that we say there are people who are not human beings.” [FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, pp. 649-650.] See "Secrets". “The former Gold Ridge Elementary School campus in Rohnert Park next fall will become home to the first public Waldorf-inspired high school in the North Bay [California, USA] ... The Waldorf name is trademarked and affiliated with private schools that adhere to a philosophy of an arts-heavy curriculum that is based on a student’s natural developmental progress.” [2-1-2011 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110201/ARTICLES/110209945/1350?Title=Rohnert-Park-sponsors-Waldorf-style-charter-high-school] Many well-intentioned people are drawn to Waldorf schooling. Some of them know what Waldorf schools are really about; many do not. Why do Waldorf schools emphasize art? Because, according to Waldorf belief, art helps prepare students to develop clairvoyance. “The artistic element, then, begins to be the guide to the first stage of exact clairvoyance — that of imagination.” — Rudolf Steiner, A MODERN ART OF EDUCATION, Foundations of Waldorf Education (Anthroposophic Press, 2004), p. 64. [See, e.g., "Magical Arts".] What are the developmental stages children pass through, according Waldorf belief? They are seven-year-long phases during which children recapitulate the spiritual evolution of mankind on Old Saturn and other “planetary stages.” “If you recall the teachings of Spiritual Science on the subject of the education of the child you will know that in the first seven-year period of life ... man develops principally the physical body ... [T]his is really a recapitulation of what man underwent on Old Saturn ... The second of the seven-year periods ... is a recapitulation of what man underwent on Old Sun ... The third seven-year period ... recapitulates the development of the astral body that normally belongs to the Old Moon epoch.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE MISSION OF THE FOLK SOULS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005), p. 68. [See, e.g., "Matters of Form".] Gravitate to Waldorf schools if you like. But do it with your eyes open. [See, e.g., "Here's the Answer".]
 [R. R. sketch, 2011, based on one by Steiner. See, e.g., "Here's the Answer".] “If you are in the midst of searching for the type of homeschooling that is right for you and your children you are most likely have run into various options such as Classical, Montessori, and another popular method called Waldorf. Waldorf education has its roots in a gentleman named Rudolf Steiner. Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian scientist who had a philosophy about developmental stages that ended up created [sic] what we now know [sic] as the Waldorf method of homeschooling.” [1-31-2011 http://freeessays.essay-911.com/search/early_child_education.html] The various stages are recapitulated in various ways during various lives (we have many, many lives, according to Waldorf belief: We reincarnate over and over). “[I]ndividual evolution ... tends to recapitulate general human evolution....” — Rudolf Steiner, THE GENIUS OF LANGUAGE, Foundations of Waldorf Education (Anthroposophic Press, 1995), p. 105. • At the simplest level, Steiner taught, children develop through a series of seven-year-long stages during which various bodies incarnate and develop. • At a more general level, Waldorfers believe, humans have passed through four major developmental stages during our life here on Earth: the Polarian, Hyperborean, Lemurian, and Atlantean great epochs. We are currently in the fifth or "Post-Atlantean" epoch. • At the macro level, Steiner taught, we have passed through three "planetary stages" of evolution: Old Saturn, Old Sun, and Old Moon. We are now in the fourth planetary stage: Earth. Yet to come: Jupiter, Venus, and Vulcan. The overall Waldorf scheme of developmental stages is complex, but don't worry about it. None of it is based in verifiable fact. It is all moonshine. In providing homeschooling, you may attempt to use Waldorf methods without adopting the Waldorf belief system. But the methods make little sense without the beliefs — they are designed specifically to apply those beliefs to the education of children. [See "Methods".] If you believe the occult doctrines of Rudolf Steiner, fine. But if you don’t, you should realize that Waldorf is probably the wrong approach for you. "A Stitch in Time Teaches New Skills - Part of school's curriculum is knitting, sewing and cross stitching, which shows them how to be patient and gives a way to bond with their families ... The second-grade class at the Waldorf School of Orange County [California, USA] was practicing knitting skills Thursday afternoon in a bi-weekly handwork class ... The private school, tucked away near the Talbert Nature Preserve, incorporates handwork into its curriculum. The school starts students in first grade with weaving and knitting, and trains students to build upon such skills with each grade, said handwork teacher Angie Meier.” [1-23-2011 http://www.dailypilot.com/news/tn-dpt-0123-itc-20110122,0,3347736.story] I wonder if the reporter got this quite right ("bi-weekly handwork class"). Kids at most Waldorf schools engage in some form of handwork — knitting, crocheting, and so forth — almost every day. Outsiders are often surprised that handwork forms such a large part of the Waldorf curriculum. The schools give all sorts of justifications for such activities, some of which make perfect sense. What the schools usually do not admit is the occult reason for handwork. (If you are new to the Waldorf world, the following will seem surpassing strange. But that, in and of itself, is a useful insight to acquire about Waldorf thinking.) Rudolf Steiner, the ultimate authority for all things Waldorf, taught that handwork has a spiritual effect on the teeth. (I kid you not.) “Go into our needlework classes and handicraft classes at the Waldorf School, and you will find the boys knit and crochet as well as the girls ... This is not the result of any fad or whim ... [T]o drive the soul into the fingers means to promote all the forces that go to build up sound teeth.” — Rudolf Steiner, SPIRITUAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1948), lecture 17, GA 312. Now, teeth are very important in the Waldorf worldview. Steiner taught that human beings are born four times: once when the physical body is born, again when the invisible “etheric body” is born, a third time when the “astral body” is born, and a fourth time when the “I” is born. [See the “Index” for the scoop on the three invisible bodies.] Waldorf teachers believe that the etheric body is born or incarnated at about age 7. They usually refrain from teaching their students reading and arithmetic until the kids’ etheric bodies arrive. And how do Waldorf teachers know when this invisible (indeed, imaginary) event has come to pass? They use "clairvoyance" and other techniques, but mostly they study the kids' teeth. The etheric body announces its arrival through the replacement of the kids’ baby teeth by adult teeth. (Or so Waldorf teachers believe.) This silliness is actually fundamental to the Waldorf approach. “Waldorf education is based upon the recognition that the four bodies of the human being develop and mature at different times ... According to Steiner, one of the indicators of the birth or emancipation of the etheric body is the loss of the child's baby teeth, which takes place at the age of seven.” — Waldorf teacher Roberto Trostli, RHYTHMS OF LEARNING: What Waldorf Education Offers Children, Parents & Teachers (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 4-5. Note that Waldorf education is "based" on these weird concepts. "A new education centre using the principles of an Austrian teaching pioneer has opened its doors in a village near Bath [UK]. The Steiner kindergarten, which encourages children aged up to seven to learn at their own pace, has started work in Peasedown St John. The Laurel Farm nursery is based in an old Buddhist temple at Carlingcott, which has been converted into a classroom, and also has easy access to the nearby farm animals and nature area." [1-13-2011 http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/education/Alternative-kindergarten-opens-Buddhist-temple/article-3093394-detail/article.html] In Steiner schools, children up to the age of seven are kept in a pleasant haze of play, fairy tales, and myths for a specific — and occult — reason. The teachers are waiting for the children's "etheric bodies" to incarnate. If this sounds screwy to you, you have just learned something important about Steiner education. “Over and above the physical body, spiritual science [i.e., Anthroposophy] recognizes a second essential principle in Man: it is that which Steiner usually refers to as the ‘etheric body,’ though he sometimes refers to it as the ‘life-body’ or ‘formative-forces-body’ ... [T]he etheric body is accessible to investigation only to [i.e., by] those who have developed the necessary higher organs of perception.” — Gilbert Childs, STEINER EDUCATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE (Floris Books, 1991), p.26. The "necessary organs of perception" are invisible "organs of clairvoyance." Yes, I know, this is screwy. But this is Steiner education we're discussing. [See, e.g., "Holistic Education".] The full incarnation of the etheric body is signaled by the loss of baby teeth — an event accorded preposterous significance in Steiner schools. "Oak Meadow is touted by many as a secular Waldorf inspired curriculum and for many it is Waldorf enough. However, for people who want a true Waldorf education this program has disappointed many. The benefits of the program are that they don't push the child to learn too much too fast ... The program is laid back and not rigorous ... The concept of the curriculum is fantastic, but the reality is that it is not exactly how the curriculum turns out to be. For example, in 2nd grade reading you are barely getting past reading 3 letter words. Some people love it and others really dislike it. If you don't mind things moving at a slow pace then you will probably be in the first group.” [2-6-2011 http://hubpages.com/hub/Oak-Meadow] The crucial question — one that bears on the efforts to create Waldorf charter schools and free schools — is whether it is possible to create a “secular” curriculum based on the Waldorf model. Waldorf teacher training usually includes extensive instruction in Anthroposophical occultism. [See, e.g., “Teacher Training".] Steiner himself stated that Waldorf teachers should be “true Anthroposophists” who are deeply devoted to the Anthroposophical worldview. [See, e.g., “Here’s the Answer”.] Efforts to make Waldorf schooling seem unconnected to occultism have usually been little more than ploys. Advocates of Waldorf education are quite aware of the need for good public relations. [See, e.g., "PR".] If you try to strip the occultism out of the Waldorf approach, what are you left with? Very little. Every part of the Waldorf curriculum and Waldorf methodology is rooted in occultism. [See, e.g., “Curriculum” and “Methods”.] The reason kids aren’t taught to read until they are seven, for instance, is that Waldorf teachers are waiting for the “etheric body” to incarnate. If you don’t believe in such occult nonsense as etheric bodies, then there is no reason to postpone reading lessons. Indeed, postponing such lessons may be permanently harmful, depriving children of the benefits of early-childhood education. Waldorf schools emphasize art (for occult reasons — see “Magical Arts”), they put little academic pressure on the students (for occult reasons — see “Academic Standards at Waldorf” and "Thinking Cap"), they emphasize fairy tales and myths (for occult reasons — see “Fairy Tales” and “The Gods”), they aim to educate the whole child (for occult reasons — see “Holistic Education”), and so on. You can imitate these procedures, and perhaps your children will derive benefits. Certainly art is a good thing, and kids can be pushed too hard, and myths are often quite nice, and educating the heart and hands as well as the head sounds right. But you don’t need to turn to Waldorf schools to make such decisions. A better strategy is to get to know your children, understand what they need, and try to provide it. "Secular" Waldorf programs are generally geared to the occult agenda of Waldorf education — manifestation of the etheric body, manifestation of the astral body, development of initial stages of clairvoyance, etc. — without say so. But this is normal for all types of Waldorf schools — they almost alway conceal their purposes. [See "Spiritual Agenda".] It is not hard to dig below the Oak Meadow surface to find Steiner's occultism. Thus, the most significant of Steiner's educational principles is that children develop through three seven-year stages. [See "Most Significant".] In the first stage, children develop their physical bodies and their wills; in the second stage, children develop their etheric bodies while living mainly through their emotions; children don't really start to think until the third stage, when they develop their astral bodies. While avoiding the weirdest parts of this terminology, Oak Meadow embraces the schedule: "The threefold nature of the child manifests through consistent developmental stages ... According to Dr. Steiner, The first stage begins at birth and continues to the change of teeth, and during this stage the will, expressing itself through physical growth and movement, is the predominant force in the child's life. The second stage begins at the change of teeth and progresses through the onset of puberty, with the focus upon the child's emotional nature. In the third stage, the faculty of thinking predominates, and the child begins to explore the world of thought ...." — Dr. Lawrence Williams, "Oak Meadow and Waldorf", http://www.oakmeadow.com/resources/articles/oak-meadow-waldorf.php. ◊◊◊ Oak Meadow's attitude toward computers is intricate. "[T]he workplace of the future will require good computer skills. Therefore, we want Oak Meadow students to learn to use computers effectively." ["Oak Meadow and Computers" [http://www.oakmeadow.com/resources/articles/oms-computers.php]). But typical Anthroposophical concerns nonetheless crop up. [See "Ahriman".] • Oak Meadow suggest that children not use computers until they are at least 11 or 12 years old. • The school worries that computers may inhibit "[l]earning that transforms the individual, which is the kind of learning Oak Meadow encourages." • And the school is concerned that using computers "tends to inhibit the development of the will and the integration of mind and body." ["Homeschooling and Computers", http://www.oakmeadow.com/resources/articles/homeschooling-computers.php]) In Anthroposophy, the will is considered a separate faculty [see "Will"], and the integration of mind and body is part of the overall process of incarnation that lies at the heart of Waldorf schooling. ◊◊◊ Disclosure statement: Lawrence Williams, of Oak Meadow, taught at the Waldorf school I attended, but not during my years there. He greatly admired our headmaster, John Fentress Gardner: "John Gardner had been a strong guiding light for me: my mentor and my inspiration in education." [http://www.oakmeadow.com/resources/articles/oak-meadow-trilogy.php] Mr. Gardner was a true-believing Anthroposophical occultist who strove to make Waldorf education seem unobjectionable to average Americans. This effort collapsed, eventually. [See "Scandal".] Mr. Gardner oversaw the construction of our school, which was designed to resemble conventional American schools — the odd architectural touches found in many European Steiner schools were avoided. For a similar reason, Mr. Gardner published such misleading statements as this: “There was nothing in Rudolf Steiner that [famed American authors] Thoreau and Emerson and Whitman would not have approved wholeheartedly.” — John Fentress Gardner, “The Founding of Adelphi’s Waldorf School,” ONE MAN’S VISION: In Memoriam, H.A.W. Myrin (The Myrin Institute Inc., 1970), p. 46. Many years after the school was founded, Mr. Gardner' stated his purpose this way: "I minimized the difference between a Waldorf school and other schools ... As soon as fundamental questions began to be answered plainly, wild rumors and frightened guesses quieted down.” [Ibid., p. 48.] Sadly, many of Mr. Gardner's "plain" answers were untrue. From "Daily Quotes" “Rudolf Steiner intended Waldorf education to be a preparation for life ... Education should follow human nature, should orient itself to the universal nature of the developing human being, whilst addressing the specific needs of individuals in their time and space.” — Martyn Rawson, foreword to Anthroposophist Francis Edmunds’ AN INTRODUCTION TO STEINER EDUCATION (Sophia Books, 2004), p. xiii. Waldorf schools have high and noble purposes, and they are generally staffed by conscientious, well-meaning individuals. Good intentions, however, are not necessarily sufficient. Is the Waldorf view of the world and of human nature realistic? Is it rooted in true knowledge? The “preparation for life” offered by Waldorf schools centers on an idea that Waldorf faculties consider fundamental but that the rest of humanity may deem nonsense. A child is properly prepared for life, according to Waldorf belief, only when his/her invisible bodies are incarnated. The etheric body generally incarnates at about age 7, the astral body at about age 14, and the “I” at about age 21. Much of what happens in Waldorf schools is predicated on this idea. Unless you consider the idea true, Waldorf education may not suit you or your child. [For information on our invisible bodies and the seven-year stages of human development, see "Most Significant" and the "Index".] What is “the universal nature of the developing human being”? In part, it is what we have just seen: the incarnation of invisible bodies to supplement the physical body. But the Waldorf view of human nature is even more involuted and fantastical. [For an overview, see “Holistic Education” and "Our Parts".] Fundamentally, according to Waldorf belief, we are the central spiritual beings in the universe [see “The Center”], worshipped by the gods, evolving from Saturn to Vulcan and beyond [see “Everything”], where/when we will ultimately become God the Father. This is all quite flattering, but to believe it you must subscribe — as most Waldorf teachers do — to Rudolf Steiner’s occult doctrines. How about “the specific needs of individuals in their time and space”? How well do Waldorf schools respect and address the students’ individual needs? According to Waldorf belief, each individual has lived many previous lives, and s/he arrives in this life with a karma that needs to be fulfilled. In addition, s/he has a “temperament” (sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, or melancholic) that must be respected (class assignments, seating, etc., will be based at least in part on “temperament” [see “Temperaments”]). Moreover, each child is a member of a racial group, and this membership crucially reflects her/his level of spiritual evolution. (Steiner taught that blacks are the least evolved, whites are the most — see “Races”].) To an unfortunate degree, Waldorf schools treat students not as individuals but as members of various categories, and quite often the schools' attitudes on these matters are benighted. (The most unfortunate children, according to Waldorf belief, are those who are not really human beings at all but demons in disguise. Such kids are likely to be expelled, since, as Steiner said, "We cannot ... create a school for demons." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 650). Waldorf schools have high and noble purposes, but their view of the world and of human nature is deeply unrealistic — and this view informs everything about the schools. Waldorf education is based on the idea that we develop four bodies. But it also depends on other occult doctrines, such as reincarnation.  [R. R., 2009.] Waldorf schools aim to benefit children in a number of ways, few of which have much to do with education.
None of this makes a particle of sense except to committed Anthroposophists. And very little of it has any connection to what we normally think of as education.*** Certainly, Waldorf teachers do not cram their students with information. The less a Waldorf student is exposed to real knowledge of the real world, the better Waldorf teachers will be able to pursue their aims.
"If you recall the teachings of Spiritual Science on the subject of the education of the child you will know that in the first seven-year period of life, between birth and the change of teeth, man develops principally the physical body ... [T]his is really a recapitulation of what man underwent on Old Saturn ... The second of the seven-year periods from the ages of seven to fourteen ... is a recapitulation of what man underwent on Old Sun ... The third seven-year period covers the years between fifteen and twenty-one. During this period man recapitulates the development of the astral body that normally belongs to the Old Moon epoch.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE MISSION OF THE FOLK SOULS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005), p. 68. Waldorf schooling has only a tangential connection with the real world and real knowledge about the real world. Much if not all of what happens in Waldorf schools is keyed to bizarre occult doctrines. Allow me to try, in as few words as possible, to explain the Waldorf conception of humanity’s past. Thus far, we have evolved through three “Conditions of Consciousness” or “planetary stages” — i.e., major evolutionary phases — which are named for "planets" (Old Saturn, Old Sun, Old Moon). We became progressively more physical at each stage, and now on Earth we are about as densely physical as possible. In the future, we will become less and less physical and more and more spiritual as we evolve through additional Conditions of Consciousness (Jupiter, Venus, Vulcan, and beyond). Each Condition of Consciousness contains seven Conditions of Life, each of which contains seven Stages of Form, each of which contains seven Epochs, each of which contains seven Ages. (The terms vary from Condition to Condition, but the pattern does not.) As we move along through these stages and sub-stages, we repeatedly recapitulate — in altered form — the stages and sub-stages we passed through previously. In our current Earth Condition of Consciousness we are now in the fourth Condition of Life, the Mineral Condition (very densely physical indeed). Like all the other Conditions of Life, the Mineral Condition contains Stages of Form ranging from Higher Spiritland to the Archetypal Stage of Higher Spiritland (a recapitulation with improvements). We are presently in the Physical Stage of Form (very very densely physical indeed indeed). There are or will be seven Epochs or Great Epochs in this Stage of Form. So far we have passed through the Polarian, Hyperborian, Lemurian, and Atlantean Epochs. We are currently in the Post-Atlantean Epoch (i.e., the period following the sinking of Atlantis — yes, Atlantis). Each Epoch consists of (you guessed it) seven sub-epochs. In our Post-Atlantean Epoch, these sub-epochs are called Cultural Ages or Cultural Epochs. Our current Cultural Epoch — known, disappointingly, as Present — falls between the Greco-Roman and the Russian Cultural Epochs. (Don't worry — the Russian Age will be followed by the American Age. Hooray.) Cultural Epochs are divided into fairly brief (350-year) periods, which in turn are divided into very brief (33-year) cycles. (The math doesn't quite work out, but let it go.) Each Condition and Epoch and period along the way is presided over by various gods, and during each we spin through repetitions (with improvements) of all the prior Conditions and Epochs and periods. OK? Got it? Few Waldorf teachers will lay out much of this for the students, at least not openly. But this is what devout Waldorf teachers believe and it informs almost all of their work. [If you’d like more information on all of this imaginary history — which Anthroposophists take for reality — see, e.g., “Matters of Form” and “Everything”. “Steiner Static” and the “Index” are also, I hope, informative.] “We can observe the child’s growth until the time of its second dentition around the seventh year. Far more than one generally thinks is connected with this second dentition. If we observe the soul-bodily processes in an unprejudiced way, we can see that after the second dentition the child’s whole way of thinking, its whole life of representation and feeling, in fact the whole life of the soul, undergoes a complete change.” — Rudolf Steiner, PATHS TO KNOWLEDGE OF HIGHER WORLDS (Anthroposophical Publishing Co., 1947), GA 79. A child’s seventh birthday is highly important in Waldorf schools. At this age, Waldorf teachers generally believe, a child’s "etheric body" is incarnated. The child then moves from the first stage of growth (a period of seven years during which the will and the physical body predominate) into the second stage (a period of seven years during which the emotions predominate and the etheric body is developed). The Waldorf lower-school curriculum is built around this concept.* Several problems leap out. For one, there is no such thing as an etheric body. For another, there is no objective evidence that “the child’s whole way of thinking” changes at or around the seventh birthday. And for yet another, the notion that the “second dentition” (i.e., the replacement of baby teeth by adult teeth) occurs at or around age seven is incorrect. Most adult teeth don’t arrive until about age 11, and some don’t arrive until age 21.** Even if we extend every possible courtesy to Steiner, stipulating that by “second dentition” he meant the arrival of the first adult tooth — which on average happens between ages six and seven — our main objections remain. There is no etheric body, nor is there any reason to think that children change profoundly when the adult teeth start appearing.*** So why all the fuss at Waldorf schools about age seven? Steiner liked to create groupings of seven and twelve because he claimed that these numbers possess occult, magical significance. [See “Magic Numbers”.] Thus, Steiner built the Waldorf curriculum around the number seven. But dividing things according to occult fantasies about numbers is arbitrary and meaningless. Steiner was making things up, spinning them out of his occult imagination, with no regard for reality or truth. If he believed his teachings on such points, he was deluding himself — just as his followers delude themselves now in accepting his teachings. The truth about the design of the Waldorf curriculum is plain. The design is truthless (or should I say toothless?). In truth, there is no truth in it.
Waldorf educator Robert Schiappacasse identifies two overarching goals of Waldorf education: “Incarnating the Child” and “Incarnating the School.”* Teachers have primary responsibility for the former (the “spiritual/cultural pillar” of the school), parents have primary responsibility for the latter (the “economic pillar” — i.e., providing the money the school needs). There is a “fundamental polarity between teacher and parents. ... [T]he role of the teachers [is] to take primary responsibility for the incarnation of the child ... [T]he teacher is the king or queen of their classroom.” The role of the parents is quite difference. Parents should always ask themselves “What can I do for you [i.e., the school].” This means identifying “the concrete tasks which serve to embody the school in the community.” When teachers take their role to extremes, “it becomes ‘Luciferic,’ tending toward dogmatism, pride, and exclusivity.” When parents overstep their bounds, their activity “becomes ‘Ahrimanic,’ and can be characterized by attempts to control, power-plays, and manipulation.” — Robert Schiappacasse, essay #1 in ADMINISTRATIVE EXPLORATIONS: Essays on Business Practices within Waldorf Schools (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, 2000), pp. 6-8.
 [R. R., 2011.] “[T]he purpose of education is to help the individual fulfill his karma. The teacher is an intermediary and his task is to guide the incarnating individualities into the physical world and equip them for earthly existence, bearing in mind what they bring with them from the past and what they are likely to take with them into the future.” — Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 52. HOMESCHOOLING Here is another item from the Waldorf Watch "news" page: "Hi, There is a Waldorf inspired homeschool group forming in the Cazenovia area [New York, USA]. So far. we are two families with 9 kid (8 and under) between us and are both following Christopherus for the first time. Looking for others who are inspired by the Waldorf philosophy. Ideas are welcome on structure of group." [8-31-2011 http://syracuse.craigslist.org/grp/2575806524.html] Homeschooling is a growing movement, and while its attractions are clear, it also has some obvious drawbacks. Children benefit enormously from the attention of highly qualified, master teachers — if and when these can be found. Many schools have at least a few expert teachers. Most parents do not have real qualifications as educators. A second possible drawback is isolation, sometimes bordering on escapism. A real education will equip a child to make her way in the real world. It will also expose the child to many points of view and to people of various backgrounds. Staying home with one's parent and a select handful of neighborhood children can confine a child to a highly insular and perhaps unrealistic worldview. Waldorf homeschooling may only intensify these problems. Waldorf education is almost always escapist, being founded on occult doctrines that have no connection to reality. [See "Occultism".] The Waldorf curriculum and Waldorf methods have meaning only in the context of Rudolf Steiner's occult system, Anthroposophy. [See "Curriculum" and "Methods".] One central goal of Waldorf schooling is to facilitate the incarnation of the children's invisible spiritual bodies. [See "Incarnation".] Trained Waldorf teachers presumably know how to supervise this process; others do not. Moreover, Steiner said that Waldorf teachers need to be real Anthroposophists. [See "Here's the Answer".] Thus, Waldorf homeschooling truly makes sense only if the parent providing the education is a knowledgeable Anthroposophist (and even then the schooling will be irrational, since Anthroposophy is irrational).* [See "The World of Waldorf".] Other parents attempting Waldorf homeschooling may have little idea what they are doing and, as a consequence, chaos may result. In either case, children may be significantly harmed. Christopherus is an outfit offering homeschooling materials and guidance [http://www.christopherushomeschool.org/home.html]. Another is Oak Meadow. [http://www.oakmeadow.com/].
|
