January, '21
Here is a collection of items that appeared on the Waldorf Watch "news" page during January, 2021. The items appear in reverse chronological order: newest first, oldest last. To find a specific item, scroll down the page.
I am the author of the Waldorf Watch commentaries, editorials, and explanatory notes you will find here. In them, I often generalize about Waldorf schools. There are fundamental similarities among Waldorf schools; I describe the schools based on the evidence concerning their structure and operations in the past and — more importantly — in the present. But not all Waldorf schools, Waldorf charter schools, and Waldorf-inspired schools are wholly alike. To evaluate an individual school, you should carefully examine its stated purposes, its practices (which may or may not be consistent with its stated purposes), and the composition of its faculty.
— Roger Rawlings
January 17, 2021
THE WORST OF WALDORF?
• Part 3 •
SILENCING A MAJOR CRITIC
Anthroposophists in France have apparently moved to block the Twitter account of one of their leading critics, Grégoire Perra [1].
The French edition of Slate recently published a scathing article about Waldorf schools [2]. Perra was quoted in the article. This evidently led, at least indirectly, to the current silencing of Perra on Twitter.
Here is a rough translation of a statement Perra posted recently at one of his websites [3]:
Following the article in Slate.fr reporting mistreatment [of students] in Steiner-Waldorf schools, Anthroposophists decided to react by abusively denouncing my Twitter account and my postings. My Twitter account is now blocked until further notice. This is to prevent me from coming into contact with journalists and giving information that would allow me to explain what is really going on in Steiner-Waldorf schools.
Here is the tweet for which my account is blocked:
"Do you know? According to Anthroposophy, a good Steiner-Waldorf teacher can give children physical slaps or astral slaps, as desired. The only slaps that his ethics strictly forbids are sentimental slaps! R. Steiner, Advice https://t.co/zVFmHuFSS5" {Le saviex-vous? Selon l'anthroposophie, un bon pédagogue Steiner-Waldorf peut donner aux enfants des gifles physiques ou bien des gifles astrales, au choix. La seule chose que sa déontologie lui interdit strictment, ce sont les gifles sentimentales! R. Steiner, Conseils https://t.co/zVFmHuFSS5} [4].
It is easy to see that this tweet, like all the others I have been able to post, and for which I had been previously suspended, in no way violates the rules of Twitter and only factually denounces, through specific references, the doctrine of Anthroposophy. It is important to understand the effects and consequences of this doctrine even today.
Simply quoting Rudolf Steiner's words becomes impossible on social networks when Anthroposophists have the power to control information concerning those words, particularly when Anthroposophists are disturbed because certain gloomy aspects of their doctrine are highlighted. This is how much contempt for freedom of expression Anthroposophists now demonstrate!
This blockage is especially damaging at a time when Anthroposophists are massively circulating conspiracy theories related to the current pandemic [5], and when it is important that someone can provide the keys to understanding their statements.
In addition, I must state that many attempts at fraudulent connections to my personal messaging, my Twitter account, and my blogs have taken place in recent days. This is not the first time this has happened. A complaint is therefore in progress.
All this is part of a logic of harassment, taking advantage of all the loopholes in social networks, intended to silence someone who has shed light on Steiner-Waldorf schools and Anthroposophy for years.
Because it is not normal for Anthroposophists to be able to govern freedom of expression in France in this way, I ask those who can to circulate this item on social networks. I remind everyone that this muzzling is occurring in the context of three complaints made by Anthroposophists, a petition to shut down my blogs on WordPress, as well as a defamation campaign against me containing false ad hominen attacks, recently relayed directly by the Federation of Steiner-Waldorf Schools in France.
It is important to make known the attacks by Anthroposophists and in particular by the Federation of Steiner-Waldorf Schools against freedom of expression in France.
Their methods clearly reveal who they are and the danger they pose to our Republic.
— Grégoire Perra [2/17/2021 "Twitter Blocked Due to Anthroposophic Harassment Campaign" {Blocage sur twitter suite à la campagne de harcèlement des anthroposophes}, https://veritesteiner.wordpress.com/2021/01/15/blocage-sur-twitter-suite-a-la-campagne-de-harcelement-des-anthroposophes/. Perra posted this message on January 15. Translation by Roger Rawlings, depending heavily on Google Translate.]
Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] For an introduction to Perra's critical writings about Waldorf, see "He Went to Waldorf".
[2] See "The Worst of Waldorf? A French Perspective", January 5, 2021.
[4] Perra is referring here to a statement Steiner made to teachers at the first Waldorf school.
Here is Steiner's statement, within its context:
The language teacher says something about boxing children’s ears.
Dr. Steiner: If you give them a slap, you should do it the way Dr. Schubert [one of the Waldorf teachers] does.
Dr. Schubert: Did somebody complain?
Dr. Steiner: No, you are always slapping them.
Dr. Schubert: When did I do that?
Dr. Steiner: Well, I mean astral slapping. There are physical slaps and astral slaps. It doesn’t matter which one you give, but you cannot slap a child sentimentally.
[Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 323.]
An "astral slap" is evidently a nonphysical blow, used for nonphysical disciplining.
[5] See, e.g., "Protests, Conspiracy Theories, and Rudolf Steiner's Followers", September 1, 2020.
— R.R.
January 10, 2021
ANTHRO MED GETS
MORE BLACK EYES
Anthroposophists' reaction to the coronavirus pandemic continues to generate bad publicity for the Steiner movement — including its educational wing, embodied in Waldorf schools.
The following is from The Guardian (UK):
Ginger Root and Meteorite Dust:
the Steiner 'Covid Cures' Offered in Germany
The movement best known for its [Waldorf] schools
is firmly entrenched within the German health sector
[By] Philip Oltermann
In a pandemic where global leaders have peddled quack treatments and miracle cures, Germany has often stood out as a shining beacon for science...
But Germany is also a country where some people who fall severely ill with Covid-19 can find themselves taken to hospitals where they are treated, under sedation and without a formalised opt-in procedure [1], with ginger-soaked chest compresses and homeopathic pellets containing highly diluted particles of iron supposedly harvested from shooting stars that have landed on earth [2].
Followers of the "spiritual scientist" and self-proclaimed clairvoyant Rudolf Steiner advocate such therapies to fight the coronavirus [3]...
There are no peer-reviewed studies or clinical trials proving the effectiveness of these remedies [4]...
Followers of Steiner have joined anti-vaxxers and the far right on demonstrations
against Covid restrictions, such as this one in Berlin in August.
Photograph: Action Press/Rex/Shutterstock
[P]ublic acceptance of the [Steiner] movement and its philosophies [5] is facing renewed scrutiny after a year in which Germans have seen followers of the Steiner philosophy march alongside anti-vaxxers and the far right in protest at the government’s measures against coronavirus [6]...
In the 21st century, anthroposophy remains a minority movement, albeit one that enjoys a high level of social acceptance and institutional support in German-speaking countries [7]. In Germany, there are more than 200 schools [8], more than 500 nurseries [9] and 263 institutions for people with mental disabilities [10] ... The country’s highest grossing drugstore chain, dm-drogerie markt [11], and second-largest chain of organic supermarkets, Alnatura [12], are both run by self-professed anthroposophists, and cosmetic products made by Steiner-devoted brands like Weleda [13] and Dr Hauschka [14] are not only for sale in German pharmacies but are also enjoying a global boom...
Steiner’s belief in illnesses as rites of passage that are necessary to purge spiritual imbalances [15] is starkly at odds with the basic foundations of modern science. And yet anthroposophy has made considerable inroads into a public-private healthcare system that puts stress on consumer choice [16]...
But the pandemic is testing the German tolerance of Steiner esotericism in more ways than one. "Anthroposophy claims to have access to secret, higher knowledge [17]," said [historian of religion Helmut] Zander [18]. “There’s a proximity to the mindset of conspiracy theorists, even if the number of Steinerists who are that way inclined is probably small".
Oliver Rautenberg, whose critical blog on the subject has found a wider readership in the pandemic, agrees [19]: "There is a widespread conspiracy mindset in the Steiner community. Anthroposophy has long been one of the most influential esoteric movements in Germany. But most people know surprisingly little about it”.
The application of anthroposophic remedies on sedated coronavirus patients has also stretched the definition of alternative treatments as a matter of personal choice [20]...
When asked how the hospital obtained patients’ consent for alternative adjunct therapies when they were sedated or in a serious condition, a spokesperson for Havelhöhe hospital [21] said: "Relatives are informed of the therapeutic methods."
The hospital did not reply after being asked on three separate occasions to explain in writing how its opt-in procedure worked or whether patients were made aware of the lack of proof of the treatment’s effectiveness...
The clinic insisted that the alternative remedies it used were “adjunct therapies” that complement conventional treatments [22]...
[The alternative treatments] include moist chest compresses with powdered ginger root, mustard flour or yarrow tea, as well as “potentized phosphorus and correspondingly potentized meteoritic iron” in the form of homeopathic pellets [23]. Wala, a manufacturer based in Germany [24], told the Observer [25] its pellets, which have also been widely prescribed as a preventative for Covid-19 at Steiner care homes for disabled people, contain ground-down remnants of meteorites that haven’t fully burnt up after entering the earth’s atmosphere [26].
A Havelhöhe spokesperson said there were no scientific studies proving that these remedies worked, and there had not been enough time to carry out trials. "But we noticed that they do the people good [27]"...
Edzard Ernst, a former professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter [28], told the Observer when shown a list of remedies used at Steiner hospitals: "None of the remedies listed have been shown to be effective for any condition. Most are highly diluted and therefore utterly implausible. Postulating that any of them are effective against Covid-19 is, in my view, highly irresponsible"...
German Steiner hospitals have been transparent about their use of alternative therapies in the fight against the pandemic. In an October 2020 interview with the anthroposophic magazine Erziehungskunst [29], Havelhöhe’s clinical director, Harald Matthes [30], claimed that his hospital’s approach had been so successful that no patients with Covid-19 had died on its ward so far.
Havelhöhe reiterated the claim to the Observer in an email, stating that the clinic had seen a 12.4% fatality rate for patients with Covid-19, almost half of the national German average of 24%. Out of 145 patients, the hospital said on 10 December 2020, 88 had recovered and 18 died [31].
Such boasts are met with irritation within Germany’s medical community. Berlin’s Charité [32] stresses that "the most severe cases" of coronavirus infections in the city are being treated in its own hospital — a fact that is more likely to explain Havelhöhe’s low fatality rate than its use of alternative remedies...
Some historians are not surprised by the Steiner movement’s self-assertive stance in the midst of a pandemic. Robert Jütte, a historian of medicine [33], likened the current situation to the cholera epidemic of the 1830s that gave rise to the homeopathy movement.
"Throughout history, we can detect a pattern", he said. "Whenever academic medicine is poking around in the dark, alternative therapies rise to the top [34]".
Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] I.e., patients are given Anthroposophical treatments without their consent (the patients are unconscious and/or have not signed a consent form).
[2] These "treatments" are described in more detail later in the article.
[3] For an introduction to Steiner, see "What a Guy". For an overview of treatment strategies promoted by Steiner, see "Steiner's Quackery". For a discussion of clairvoyance as a means of acquiring knowledge, see "Clairvoyance".
[4] There is, thus, no scientific basis for the alternative therapies advocated by Steiner's followers.
[5] Steiner named his movement "Anthroposophy" — a word meaning human wisdom. There is, however, little or no real wisdom in the movement. Anthroposophy is a mystical belief system consisting chiefly of fantasies mistaken for reality. [See "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]
[6] See, e.g., "Protests, Conspiracy Theories, and Rudolf Steiner's Followers", September 1, 2020. While many of Steiner's followers have left-leaning sympathies, there have long been evident ties between at least some portions of Anthroposophy and extreme right-wing movements, including Fascism and Nazism. [See "Sympathizers?"] The recent involvement of Anthroposophists in extreme right-wing street demonstrations has put Anthroposophy in the position of "facing renewed scrutiny."
[7] Born in Austria, Steiner was a German nationalist. [See, e.g., "Steiner and the Warlord".] As a homegrown movement, Anthroposophy enjoys greater acceptance in Germany and Austria than anywhere else.
[8] These are Steiner or Waldorf (or Steiner-Waldorf) schools. [See "Waldorf schools, Steiner schools" in the BWSE.]
[9] These are typically seedbeds for full-blown Waldorf schools. The nurseries are often quite small, and some of them fail to flourish, but those that survive may give rise to Waldorf enterprises that grow over time, adding new grade levels as the initial students age.
[10] These are often called "Camphill communities". [See "Camphill" in the BWSE.]
[11] See https://www.dm.de.
[12] See https://www.alnatura.de/de-de/.
[13] See https://www.weleda.com.
[14] See https://www.dr.hauschka.com.
[15] I.e., Steiner taught that illnesses are often produced by an individual's karma. One implication is that it is often better to endure an illness than to prevent or cure it. [See "Karma".]
[16] Anthroposophy purportedly stresses "freedom," although the doctrines of Anthroposophy make genuine freedom almost impossible. [See "Freedom".] One sort of liberty that Anthroposophists do advocate, however, is their own right to believe what they wish and to do what they want (such as when they work as teachers in Waldorf schools). Steiner asserted that Waldorf teachers should be free of virtually all outside interference. Likewise, Anthroposophists argue that ordinary citizens should be free to opt for Anthroposophical medicine and/or Waldorf schooling (although Anthroposophists may deny them accurate information on which to make a decision).
[17] Steiner was a self-professed occultist, meaning that he claimed to possess secret or hidden ("occult") spiritual knowledge. Steiner's most important book, laying out many of his basic teachings, is titled AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT KNOWLEDGE. [See "Everything".]
[18] See, e.g., https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmut_Zander.
[19] Actually, Rautenberg goes farther than Zander (Rautenberg says the conspiracy mindset is "widespread" in Anthroposophy, while Zander says it is "probably small"). For Rautenberg's blog, see https://anthroposophie.blog.
[20] That is, patients can hardly be said to have freely chosen Anthroposophical treatments if they were unconscious when the treatments were selected for them. (This may be seen as a small example of the actual Anthroposophical attitude toward freedom. Anthroposophical doctors may assert their freedom to use their odd treatments, whereas patients of Anthroposophical doctors may have little or no say in the matter. A similar situation may occur in Waldorf schools, where the teachers are "free" but the students and their parents have little or no say.)
[21] This is the Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, a Steiner hospital in Berlin.
[22] Anthroposophical doctors are MDs who can use conventional medicines when they see fit. The question becomes, then, how often they use conventional (real) medicines and how often they use Anthroposophical treatments to supplement or replace conventional (real) medicines. The Guardian article — like many others before it — suggests that Anthroposophical doctors are often inclined to use Anthroposophical treatments exclusively. [See, e.g., the section on Anthroposophical Medicine at http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles.html#AnthroMed.]
[23] In homeopathy, patients are given extremely dilute doses of substances that can cause the illnesses being targeted. In many case, the dilution is so extreme that in effect the "medicine" is nothing but water. [See "homeopathy" in the BWSE.]
[24] Wala manufacturers homeopathic medicines. [See https://www.homoempatia.eu/category/wala.437.html?language_code=en.]
[25] The Observer and The Guardian are partner newspapers, put out by the same publisher.
[26] See, e.g., "The Coronavirus & Waldorf Ed. III", March 17, 2020.
[27] The evidence favoring Anthroposophical treatments is, then, anecdotal — which means it has no scientific value. (People will often see what they want to see, just as they may "feel better" solely as the result of the placebo effect.)
[28] See, e.g., "Bad for Health: Waldorf Schools", August 13, 2020.
[29] See https://www.erziehungskunst.de/startseite/.
[30] See https://www.havelhoehe.de/mitarbeiter/profil/dr-med-harald-matthes.html.
[31] Note the difference: Matthes claims no patients died "on [the] ward," whereas the hospital acknowledges 18 deaths.
[32] This is Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a university hospital in Berlin.
[33] See https://www.sciencehistory.org/profile/robert-jutte.
[34] I.e., when conventional science has not yet developed treatments for particular diseases, people often turn to "alternative" treatments (which may have no value).
— R.R.
January 8, 2021
THE WORST OF WALDORF?
• Part 2 •
A PRO-WALDORF RIPOSTE
The president of the Federation for Waldorf-Steiner Pedagogy in France has issued a response to the highly critical article about Waldorf schools published recently in the French edition of Slate [1].
Here are excerpts from the response, covering the main points raised. I have appended a few footnotes.
Press release following the publication of
the article of January 5, 2021 on Slate.fr,
written by Laure Dasinières
@credit photo Annie Spratt
This article presents a shocking and defamatory image of Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy in France...
The central values of Steiner-Waldorf education are benevolence and respect for the child: no, [Waldorf] playgrounds are not places of violence where the teacher 'would play the flute while the children were tearing each other apart' [2]...
To create such a falsification of reality, Laure Dasinières quotes statements from three individuals, including an educator has not worked in a Steiner-Waldorf establishment for more than 20 years, and two parents, one of whom comes from of a school which lost its Steiner-Waldorf label...
For several years now a group of detractors has regularly written scathing articles with the intention of damaging the reputation of Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy [3]. This group is led by Mr. Grégoire Perra, who had to leave his teaching duties in a Steiner school following serious breaches of ethics, in particular the report of sexual touching on a minor student [4]...
Contrary to what is described in the article, Steiner-Waldorf schools enable children to develop their creativity and learn to cooperate ... Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy does not discriminate based on race or religion [5]...
Concerning the foundations of Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy, we refer to the work of Loïc Chalmel, teacher-researcher in educational sciences...who shares his point of view in an interview: "First of all, Steiner's thought has nothing doctrinaire or sectarian about it. His project, developed in particular in the book The Philosophy of Freedom, seeks on the contrary to liberate human beings, to make them free and autonomous in their thinking [6]"...
Steiner-Waldorf establishments are known and recognized throughout the world ... [T]he very foundations of Waldorf pedagogy, as developed by Rudolf Steiner at the beginning of the 20th century, are humanistic and open to all cultures: It is for this reason that Steiner-Waldorf schools have flourished all over the world and in all cultures [7]...
The many empirical scientific studies carried out on Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy reveal a completely different reality than those described by detractors [8]...
It remains to be clarified that this same journalist, Laure Dasinières, has previously written an unfounded pamphlet on Waldorf education as a curative approach, whereas these establishments enjoy an excellent reputation in the field [9]...
— Guy Chaudon, President of the Federation [http://steiner-waldorf.org/communique-federation-steiner-waldorf-01-2021/ This press release was posted on January 5, 2021. Translation by Roger Rawlings, making use of Google Translate.]
Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] See "The Worst of Waldorf? A French Perspective", January 5, 2021.
[2] While it seems probable that benevolence prevails in most Waldorf schools most of the time, over the years there have been many reports of bullying and other forms of violence occurring in Waldorf schools. And, often, these reports have included the allegation that Waldorf teachers stand aside passively, allowing the violence to occur. [See "Slaps".]
[3] In reality, critical articles about Waldorf schools have been appearing for a great many years, starting long before Perra began his own work as a Waldorf critic. Perhaps some of these articles were written with "the intention of damaging the reputation of Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy," but others may have resulted from the simple desire to tell the truth about Waldorf. In any case, guessing people's motives is beside the point. The important issue is evaluating the accuracy of allegations that have been made for so long, and so consistently, concerning flaws in the Waldorf culture.
[4] Waldorf rebuttals often include ad hominem attacks. Ad hominems are little more than an invalid technique for sidestepping the real questions at issue. Waldorf proponents in France have been attacking Perra for several years now using terms such as we have seen here. Perra's own account of his actions as a Waldorf teacher are quite different. [See "The Anthroposophical Indoctrination of Students in Steiner-Waldorf Schools".] We should note that in 2011 the Federation sued Perra for defamation. The Federation lost. [For Perra's report on the trial, see "My Life Among the Anthroposophists", Part 2.] Other legal actions aimed at Perra have also effectively vindicated Perra. [See, e.g., "French Anthroposophists Appeal The Two Most Recent Defeats", October 7, 2019.]
[5] Waldorf teachers may genuinely believe that their pedagogy is beneficial to children of all races and creeds, but unfortunately Rudolf Steiner wove Eurocentic prejudices into the very fabric of the Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy. [See, e.g., "Steiner's Racism".] Arguably, traces of such prejudice remain present in Anthroposophy today. [See, e.g., "Embedded Racism".]
[6] THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM is an early book by Steiner. His subsequent work, taking him further and further into occult mysticism, created a system of thought — essentially a new religion — in which genuine freedom is almost impossible. [See "Freedom" and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]
[7] There are indeed Waldorf schools in many countries all around the world. Yet the fundamental vision of Anthroposophy, rooted in Europe, remains largely unchanged. Indeed, the Waldorf movement remains largely a German/European phenomenon. Today, of approximately 1,214 Waldorf schools in the world, about 823 (nearly 70%) are in Europe — and 252 of these are in Germany alone. [See the Waldorf World List.]
[8] Actually, there have been few objective studies supporting the claims made for Waldorf education. The works offered as evidence for Waldorf schooling tend to be thin and — to put it mildly — open to question. [See, e.g., "Into the World".]
[9] The purportedly healthful practices found in Waldorf schools derive chiefly from Anthroposophical medicine, which deviates far from modern, scientifically verified medical practices. [See "Steiner's Quackery".] To say that Laure Dasinières has published work examining "Waldorf education as a curative approach" would seem to bolster her authority as a writer on Waldorf issues, not undermine it.
— R.R.
January 5, 2021
THE WORST OF WALDORF?
• Part 1 •
A FRENCH PERSPECTIVE
In recent weeks and months, we have seen disturbing narratives about Waldorf schools emerge from the UK [1], Germany [2], Belgium [3], Spain [4], and France [5]. Here is yet another such report, coming once again out of France. In this instance, the description of Waldorf culture is extremely disturbing, worse than we've seen in the other recent articles reviewed here.
The following is excerpted from an article appearing in the French edition of Slate. As the title of the article indicates, the piece focuses on some of the most scandalous behavior that has sometimes been reported occurring in and around Waldorf schools. Such behavior has not been alleged at all Waldorf schools, by any means. Waldorf schools are often seen as lovely, peaceful havens. But there have been enough reports of violent and racist conduct at enough Waldorf schools to warrant serious consideration. The article directs our attention to some of the worst excesses that may arise in the Waldorf milieu when certain components of Anthroposophical belief — components that are often suppressed or hidden — find expression.
I have added some explanatory footnotes to supplement the article.
Violence, Abuse, Racism:
the Law of Silence in
Steiner-Waldorf Schools
[By] Laure Dasinieres
Because it is necessary to let the "karma" of the children be fulfilled, teachers at Steiner-Waldorf schools permit free-for-alls among the pupils.
“My son told me such violence was constant…
I decided to withdraw him from the school,” says Marianne.
[Ksenia Makagonova via Unsplash]
...[S]o-called "alternative" pedagogies are attracting more and more parents anxious to offer their children an education that they hope is more suited to their needs...
Among these "new" pedagogies, Steiner-Waldorf education draws particular attention because of its more-or-less admitted spiritual dimension [6]...
In appearance, Waldorf kindergartens and schools are quick to appeal to parents with artistic and ecological interests. "When we first visited the Trille des Bois school in Ottawa [in Canada, note], it was a delight," says Bettina, who enrolled her little son, Max, from September to December, 2018. "It was what we were looking for: a French-speaking school with a good reputation, right next to us. At first glance, the school is a pastel cocoon, very lovely, with handmade decorations. As the people were so nice, we didn't ask questions. At no time were Steiner beliefs mentioned [7]."
Marc Giroud, who was an teacher at the Steiner-Waldorf school during the 1980s, explains: "When you train as a Steiner teacher, you only study one author, Steiner [8]. It is an educational dogma. You are there to accomplish a transcendent mission, which justifies lying or being silent [9]. We learn to hide our inner calling from people who entrust their child to us. This is why misleading representations are given [10]."
"What can be regulated at school is regulated at school"
In 2018-2019, Marianne lived with her 2.5-year-old son in an ecovillage in the south of France where there is a Steiner kindergarten ... "I was charmed by the all-wood decor … Later I realized, by searching the Internet, that the school is a copy-paste of all Steiner schools around the world [11]."
If interior decoration is a tiny indicator that may seem insignificant, Marianne quickly realized that something deeper was wrong and the children were not treated as in a regular school. "Morning rituals are taken very seriously, there is great solemnity [12]."
It was the meals given in the canteen that first began to worry her [13] ... Marianne also reports that her son was one of the only children to have been vaccinated and that vaccination was quite frowned upon [14].
For her part, Bettina quickly noticed that her boy's behavior changed: "The first day, he was excited to go to school. But he quickly became disillusioned. He started crying in the morning saying he didn't want to go anymore." The teachers had told Bettina and her husband that "what can be fixed at school is fixed at school" and that they would not be informed of everything concerning their child. "In fact, teachers cultivate the idea of a secret garden, and they taught the children not to share school matters with their parents," says Bettina [15].
This echoes Marianne's experience: "One day, my son said to me: 'Mom, I have to stop loving you and take care of myself on my own' [16]. You can imagine the shock for the mother of a child barely 3 years old! On his birthday, the teacher gave him a little gnome [17]. When he got home, my son was withdrawn, he hugged the gnome very tightly. He placed it in a strategic place in the room and said to me: 'Mum, this is my injury repairer' [18]...
Lack of intervention and karma
What is passed over in silence, what should not be discussed outside of school, undoubtedly includes the violence that often occurs between Waldorf students, and the lack of intervention by teachers. This reflects the belief system of the teachers: "Anthroposophists believe in reincarnation [19]," explains Marc Giroud. "For them, children have chosen their parents, their school, and what happens to them. Their karma has led them to make these choices — karma being understood as payment for bad deeds committed in a previous life [20]. In fact, teachers allow violence between children [21]. Inappropriate intervention would prevent a child from fulfilling his karma..."
Grégoire Perra, a former Anthroposophist and former Waldorf teacher, confirms this: "Children are deliberately left unattended [at Waldorf schools]. You have to let karma play out, allowing souls to clash." And he adds: "Children are often bored by Waldorf instruction, which is oppressive [22]. Some consequently become impassive, but others go wild."
Gradually, Bettina managed to get her son to talk to her. "One day at home, Max said to me 'A boy called me a fucking idiot.' And then Max quietly said that this boy — who was 6 years old and had behavioral problems — hit and abused him ... The big kid scratched him, kicked him in the stomach and in the face." Meetings between Bettina, her husband, and Max's teacher came to nothing [23] ... "We were advised to find a counselor to teach Max about resilience," she recalls, bewildered.
Marianne testifies to similar acts: "My window overlooked the schoolyard. One day I heard my son cry out: He was being beaten up. The teacher did not intervene, but kept playing a flute on the swing … My son told me such violence was constant … I decided to withdraw him from the school."
Racial differences and abuse
Grégoire Perra explains that children of non-Anthroposophical parents, or those who are not part of the school community, are often subjected to more violence: "Everything is permitted for the children of Anthroposophists [24]."
Élisabeth Feytit, documentary filmmaker, independent podcaster and co-author with Grégoire Perra of UNE VIE EN ANTHROPOSOPHY [25]...adds this: "There are clearly children who are treated less well, especially those who are they are colored or not white." This difference in treatment refects basic Anthroposophical teachings: "Anthroposophy stems directly from the theosophy of Mrs. Blavatsky [26] who attached great significance to racial differences. For Steiner, there are dominant races at different stages of humanity [27]. According to him, today, it is the Aryan race which dominates [28]. It is as if the others had missed the boat. There are non-white children in Steiner-Waldorf schools, but they are considered to be less advanced than whites [29]."
Grégoire Perra remembers: "The children of my ex-partner are Afro-Colombians. They were victims of harassment throughout their [Waldorf] schooling without any reaction from the teachers. The youngest regularly received insults like 'You have poo-colored skin' from her classmates. It is customary for [Waldorf] teachers to give students a postcard with a design supposed to represent their soul. The daughter of my ex-girlfriend was offered the image of a little white blond girl. It was very hurtful for her ... This is a racism that is not even aware of itself [30]"...
"I have never seen children fight like that"
Bettina was able to observe widespread violence on the playground: "...I have never seen children fight like that! There were 3-4 year olds punching a child on the ground ... I never saw an adult intervene ... There are three 'camps': the hitters, the ones who are hit, and the little ones sitting alone in a corner crying. It was really an unhealthy atmosphere."
The climax came on the day of the school Christmas party: "...Max began to fight like a ragpicker with other boys in the middle of the class. It was horrible ... A father said, 'That's just the way boys are.' I was appalled. The teacher put her hand on my shoulder and said, 'Leave them. Look at how well Max is playing. He's a real boy.' It was the last time my son set foot in that school. I asked him if he wanted to say goodbye to his classmates or to his teacher, but he did not…"
Bear in mind, all schools [in France]...are subject to regular educational inspections by officials from National Education [31]. However, despite warnings, the [Steiner-Waldorf] system endures. The Steiner-Waldorf school that we contacted to find out more about its pedagogy did not respond to our requests.
[1/5/2021 http://www.slate.fr/story/198667/violences-abus-racisme-enfants-ecoles-steiner-waldorf-pedagogie-alternative-anthroposophie This article originally appeared on January 4. Translation by Roger Rawlings, making use of Google Translate.]
Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".
[2] See, e.g, "More Unwelcome Exposure for Waldorf Schools in Germany", December 6, 2020 — scroll down to this item.
[3] See "Belgian Political Party Raises Waldorf Alarm", December 11, 2020 — scroll down.
[4] See "A Waldorf School Ignores Covid-19; Now Infection Has Raged Through It", November 25, 2020.
[5] See "Secrecy, Occultism, & Waldorf Schools", January 3, 2021.
[6] Waldorf schools usually acknowledge their interest in spiritual matters, but they almost always downplay their devotion to the occult religion created by Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner: Anthroposophy. [See "Here's the Answer" and, e.g., "Spiritual Agenda". For a brief introduction to Anthroposophy, see the entry "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]
[7] Fundamentally, Waldorf pedagogy is based on Anthroposophy. So, for instance, Steiner once said "As Waldorf teachers, we must be true anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 118. When they drop their guard, Waldorf teachers today say much the same thing. For instance, "Waldorf teachers must be anthroposophists first and teachers second." — Waldorf teacher Gilbert Childs, STEINER EDUCATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE (Floris Books, 1991), p. 166.
[8] Training to be a Waldorf teacher is often tantamount to training to become an initiated Anthroposophist. Acquiring ordinary teaching skills and mastering academic subjects may be skimped or ignored altogether. [See "Teacher Training".]
[9] See, e.g., "Secrets".
[10] One of the chief complaints made against Waldorf schools is that they mislead parents about the nature and purpose of Waldorf education. [See, e.g., "Our Experience".] The underlying objective of Waldorf schooling is to draw students — and, if possible, their families — toward embrace of the Anthroposophy. Waldorf schools are, at base, disguised religious institutions, and the religion involved is Anthroposophy. [See "Schools as Churches".]
[11] Not all Waldorf schools look alike; there can be considerable variation. But certain design principles apply in most Waldorf schools, such as the colors used for the walls of the classrooms — colors that Steiner said have spiritual powers. [See "Mystical Colors".]
[12] Most days at Waldorf schools begin with the students reciting prayers written by Steiner. These invocations are often disguised as mere "verses." So, for instance, Steiner said the following to teachers at the first Waldorf school: “We also need to speak about a prayer. I ask only one thing of you. You see, in such things everything depends upon the external appearances. Never call a verse a prayer, call it an opening verse before school. Avoid allowing anyone to hear you, as a faculty member, using the word ‘prayer.’” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 20. [See "Prayers".]
[13] Anthroposophists often restrict themselves to vegetarian diets consisting of specially grown organic foods. Steiner prescribed magical and astrological processes for Anthroposophical farmers and gardeners to follow. [See "Biodynamics".] Waldorf lunchrooms often serve food grown in accordance with these restrictive beliefs.
[14] Mystical, unscientific "medical" practices are often followed in and around Waldorf schools. Accordingly, Waldorf communities often display a deep aversion to vaccines. [See "Steiner's Quackery".]
[15] Waldorf teachers often believe that they should supplant parents as the most important adults in their students' lives. Indeed, Waldorf teachers may think students' parents exert injurious influences on their children. So, for instance, Steiner once said this to Waldorf teachers: "You will have to take over children for their education and instruction — children who will have received already (as you must remember) the education, or mis-education given them by their parents." — Rudolf Steiner, STUDY OF MAN (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), p. 16. Steiner also said the following to the same teachers: "[I]t might almost be preferable from a moral viewpoint if children could be taken into one's care soon after birth." — Rudolf Steiner, WALDORF EDUCATION AND ANTHROPOSOPHY, Vol. 2 (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 69. One consequence is that Waldorf teachers, viewing students's parents askance, may withhold much information from them. [See, e.g., the discussion of students' parents in "Faculty Meetings".]
[16] According to Steiner, children arrive on Earth bearing their own karmas formed during their past lives. Each person's karma is believed to be unique and virtually sacrosanct. This means it is more important for children to obey the requirements of their karmas than to heed the views of their parents. Hence, children may need to cut their emotional bonds with their parents. A Waldorf student may internalize, then, the idea expressed by Marianne's son: "Mom, I have to stop loving you and take care of myself on my own."
[17] Steiner taught that gnomes really exist. [See "Neutered Nature".] Gnomes are among the innumerable invisible beings who, according to Steiner, populate the cosmos and surround us here on Earth. [See "Beings" and "Polytheism".] Gnome statuettes and dolls are often used in Waldorf schools as representing invisible presences to which the students should attend. [See "Gnomes".]
[18] Here, a gnome doll has been sent home with a child, to fill the same role at home that such dolls fill at school. The child evidently believes the gnome will protect him or cure his ailments. It is as if the gnome were a tiny god or an intercessionary spirit in contact with the gods. [Anthroposophy is polytheistic: See "Polytheism".] The school's occult belief system is thus extended into the home.
[19] See "Reincarnation". In Anthroposophical belief, humans live many, many lives, alternating between lives in the spirit realm and lives on the physical plane. The goal of life is to evolve to higher and higher levels of spiritual awareness. [See "evolution of consciousness" in the BWSE.] A good person uses each life to climb a little higher, whereas a bad person may slip from one level to a lower level. [See "bad souls" in the BWSE.]
[20] Belief in karma is supplementary to belief in reincarnation. [See "Karma".] In each life, an individual performs good or bad actions. Good actions help one to evolve higher. Bad actions produce a punishing karma that must be discharged in future lives.
The cruelty of the doctrine of karma shows itself here. People who are impoverished, or afflicted with grave diseases, or enslaved, or brutalized (by bullies, for instance) deserve their torment. Their karmas require them to undergo these tribulations in order to compensate for errors or sins committed in past lives. [See "Sin".] Indeed, according to Anthroposophical doctrine, people actually choose their karmas: During their lives in the spirit realm, between lives on Earth, people choose the parents they will have, the schools they will attend, and so on, in their next earthly lives. Karma is thus, in a sense, voluntary — which may make it seem less cruel. But the effect is to make karma all the more inescapable. You deserve your fate, indeed you have chosen your fate.
[21] The idea is that some children are born with a karma that requires them to be punished by bullies, whereas other children are born with the karma to act as bullies. Thus, when bullying among children occurs in a Waldorf school, the teachers may stand aside because presumably the bullying represents the necessary enactment of the children's karmas. Bullying by Waldorf teachers themselves may tolerated for similar reasons. [See, e.g., "Ex-Teacher 5" and "Slaps".]
[22] Although Waldorf schools often advertise themselves as offering stimulating, progressive education, in fact their practices and methods are often old-fashioned and dull. Typically, students sit at desks, in rows, silently listening to lectures or instructions delivered by teachers standing at the head of the room. [See "Methods" and "Waldorf Now".]
[23] This is another frequent complaint about Waldorf schools: The teachers are unresponsive to requests, comments, or suggestions from parents. The reason for this impassivity is that Waldorf teachers typically treat the Steiner belief system as if it has divine sanction. For many, Anthroposophy serves as their religion. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] Wavering from Waldorf practices, then, would be virtually an act of apostasy.
[24] I.e., Waldorf teachers tend to be more lenient with the children for their co-religionists. Waldorf teachers often send their own children to the schools in which they teach; the student body may consist of a large contingent of teachers' children, who may be treated differently from the other children in the school.
[25] See "Secrecy, Occultism, & Waldorf Schools", January 3, 2021.
[26] Helena Blavatsky was one of the founders of modern Theosophy. [See "Blavatsky, Helena" in the BWSE.] Steiner was a Theosophist before breaking away to establish Anthroposophy as a separate spiritual movement. Much of Anthroposophical doctrine is drawn, with revisions, from Theosophy. [See "Basics".]
[27] Steiner taught that some races are higher than others. He said there is a hierarchy of races, extending from black (the lowest) to white (the highest). If we evolve upward, we reincarnate in higher and higher races, he said. But if we deteriorate, we fall to lower and lower races. [See "Steiner's Racism" and "Races".]
[28] See "Aryans" in the BWSE. Also see "Atlantis and the Aryans".
[29] See, e.g., "N-Word", "'Negro'", and "Embedded Racism".
Not all Waldorf teachers look down on non-white students, of course. Perhaps few do, at least consciously. And we should remember than kindness is possible even when there is a belief in racial hierarchies: A member of a "higher" race may show charity to members of "lower" races. Still, Anthroposophical doctrine asserts the superiority of some races over others. If such beliefs were deemed more or less acceptable in Steiner's day (the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries), they are almost universally deplored today in enlightened circles. And even in Steiner's day, many enlightened individuals recognized the evils of racism, and they rejected racist teachings. This makes the presence of racist teachings in Anthroposophy all the more shocking.
[30] The teacher may have thought s/he was praising or encouraging the little black girl, telling her that her soul is white or blond. But the implication is that being white is superior to being black. This is a type of racism "that is not even aware of itself."
[31] The Ministère de l'Éducation nationale — the Ministry for National Education — has responsibility for supervising public education in France.
Grégoire Perra has written about tactics used by French Waldorf schools to hoodwink inspectors during their visits. [See, e.g., the brief section "Concealment Vis-à-Vis Institutions" in the essay "The Anthroposophical Indoctrination of Students in Steiner-Waldorf Schools".]
— R.R.
January 3, 2021
SECRECY, OCCULTISM,
& WALDORF SCHOOLS
On January 1, we looked at a New Year's message from one of the world's foremost experts on Waldorf education.
Here is further news from the same quarter.
Grégoire Perra & Élisabeth Feytit, UNE VIE EN ANTHROPOSOPHIE
(La Route de la Soie - Editions, 2020).
A French publisher is releasing a new book created by former Waldorf insider Grégoire Perra in collaboration with documentarian Élisabeth Feytit. The text consists of a lengthy interview, conducted by Feytit, in which Perra reveals the inner reality of Waldorf education. Only someone with Perra's deep Waldorf experience — first as a Waldorf student, then as a Waldorf teacher — could roll back the Waldorf facade as Perra does here.
The publisher describes the book as follows:
A LIFE IN ANTHROPOSOPHY
The hidden face of Steiner-Waldorf schools
Steiner-Waldorf schools are often presented as progressive institutions where each child's individuality is respected. Parents looking for an educational environment that is close to nature and conducive to creativity may think these schools are an ideal choice. But [in this book] a former Steiner-Waldorf student and teacher warns of the dangerous excesses of this pedagogy and its hidden links with Anthroposophy, a sprawling movement where a culture of secrecy and occult practices reigns.
[1/3/2021 https://www.laroutedelasoie-editions.com/notre-catalogue/méta-de-choc/une-vie-en-anthroposophie/ Translation by Roger Rawlings, making use of Google Translate.]
The book is in French. We can only hope that an English edition will become available.
Perhaps at some point I will be able to quote translations of some passages from the book here at Waldorf Watch News. I have been working my way through my own copy of the book — laboriously, but with considerable interest.
— R.R.
January 1, 2021
RINGING OUT THE OLD:
UNMASKING WALDORF
Grégoire Perra was educated in Waldorf schools in his native France. After graduation, he became a Waldorf teacher and a prominent Anthroposophical writer and philosopher.
Ultimately, Perra broke from Anthroposophy. He is now one of the world's foremost critics of Anthroposophy and all of its extensions, including Waldorf education.
Several of Perra's essays about Anthroposophy and Waldorf education are available, in English translation, at Waldorf Watch. [See, e.g., "The Anthroposophical Indoctrination of Students in Steiner-Waldorf Schools" and "My Life Among the Anthroposophists".]
To usher in the new year, Perra has posted a brief retrospective on the tumultuous year we have just passed through. Here is my effort at a translation:
The Year 2020 and Anthroposophy
If the year 2020 has been hard for everyone, it has had at least one constructive consequence: With the Covid-19 pandemic, Anthroposophy has revealed its true nature to the general public as never before.
There were the statements of Anthroposophic physician Thomas Cowan, who traveled around the world blaming 5G technology for the appearance of the virus [1]. There were also the pronouncements of the Medical Section at the Goetheanum [2], advocating sunbathing and the cultivation of social relationships as methods for protecting oneself. And there were the claims of the Agricultural Section, asserting that biodynamic agriculture [3] could counteract epidemics such as the one we are experiencing. All of this revealed the dangers posed for civilization itself [4] by the the Anthroposophical movement.
By making disclosures that went viral — prodding the moderators of major social networks such as YouTube and Twitter to react — Anthroposophists openly revealed themselves to be proponents of conspiracy theories, cabalism, anti-vaccine extremism, and the like. They have also appeared, in the virtual world but also in the real world, at the forefront of demonstrations against sensible health measures, particularly within Germany [5].
In this context, Steiner-Waldorf schools have revealed themselves as places particularly conducive to the dissemination of anti-scientific beliefs, and as vectors of associated social protest movements. We may expect other problematic aspects of these positions to emerge in the near future.
It has thus become clear in 2020 that our societies must urgently recognize Anthroposophy and its manifestations as a serious threat, a threat that has been ignored for too long but must now be faced.
Let us hope that the year 2021 will be taken as an opportunity to address this problem, in France and throughout the world. It is now up to the political authorities to act [6]. We all must understand that the future of our civilization is at stake [7].
[1/1/2021 https://veritesteiner.wordpress.com/2020/12/31/lannee-2020-et-lanthroposophie/ Perra posted his commentary on December 31, 2020. Translation by Roger Rawlings, making use of Google Translate and DeepL Translator.]
Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] Despite occasional claims to the contrary, Anthroposophy is fundamentally averse to modern science and technology. [See, e.g., "Spiders, Dragons and Foxes".] 5G is the latest generation of technology for broadband cellular networks. Cowan and others have claimed that the emissions from this technology have caused the spread of the coronavirus.
[2] The Goetheanum is the worldwide Anthroposophical headquarters, named — somewhat deceptively — for the German poet Goethe. [See the section of the Goetheanum in "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]
[3] Biodynamic agiriculture is a form of organic farming that, based on Rudolf Steiner's preachments, incorporates magic and astrology. [See "Biodynamics".]
[4] Perra speaks here, broadly, of the rational civilization that arose from the Enlightenment. [See the section "Enlightenment" in "Inside Scoop". Also see "englightenment, Enlightenment" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.] At its roots, Anthroposophy is opposed to rationality, intellect, and indeed reliance on the brain. [See, e.g., "Steiner's Specific — Thinking Without Our Brains".] This anti-rational bias makes itself felt throughout the Waldorf curriculum. [See "Thinking Cap".]
[5] See, e.g., "Protests, Conspiracy Theories, and Rudolf Steiner's Followers", September 1, 2020. Anthroposophy is found in many countries, but its epicenter is Rudolf Steiner's beloved Germany.
[6] What could the authorities do? Short of banning Anthroposophy and Waldorf schools — which would be a violation of the principles of individual liberty and religious freedom — authorities should at least stop providing financial aid to Waldorf schools, including Waldorf charter schools or "free" schools. [See, e.g., "charter schools", "free schools", and "state funding" in the Waldorf Watch Annex Index.] At a more basic level, authorities need to understand the true nature of Anthroposophy and Waldorf education — an occult religion and its adjunct aimed are molding children in conformity with the conceptions of that religion — and treat them accordingly. [See "Here's the Answer" and "Schools as Churches".] Authorities should recognize Anthroposophy as representing what in France is called a sectarian aberration (aberration sectaire) — a mystic approach, centered in a sect or cult, that leads away from reality and truth. [See, e.g., "Belgian Political Party Raises Waldorf Alarm", December 11, 2020.]
[7] If Anthroposophy and Waldorf do not, in and of themselves, threaten to overthrow modern civilization in the immediate future, they certainly represent dangerous currents. And when they are allied with other anti-rational movements — perhaps especially neofascism — the danger becomes greatly magnified. [For consideration of ties between Anthroposophy and the extreme right, see, e.g., "Sympathizers? — Rejecting Reason."]
— R.R.