INDICATIONS 1
Here is a collection of items that appeared on the Waldorf Watch "news" page from August through November, 2017. The items appear in reverse chronological order: newest first, oldest last. To find a specific item, scroll down the page.
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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
November 30, 2017
WALDORF "MYTHS"
& WALDORF REALITIES
From Parent24 [South Africa]:
Waldorf schools:
dispelling 5 myths
Dispelling some myths of Waldorf schooling
[by] Elizabeth Mamacos
There are more than a thousand Waldorf schools in the world, and 17 of them are spread across South Africa. The schooling system, which has sometimes been considered a little "out there" or controversial, is steadily growing in popularity, but is still subject to some widespread negative misconceptions.
We interviewed Waldorf teachers, students and parents to get to the bottom of some of the more common myths….
MYTH 1: Waldorf is sometimes thought of as a school for "hippies" and their kids, far from the mainstream schooling style and sometimes directly at odds with it….
MYTH 2: The Waldorf learning programme doesn’t focus on Maths and Science, instead allowing more art and craft….
MYTH 3: Waldorf teaches reading at a very late stage, and children are left behind their peers academically….
MYTH 4: Waldorf Schools don’t use textbooks, and students must create their own workbooks….
MYTH 5: Waldorf schools are more appropriate for slow learners and don’t match up to the standard of mainstream education….
[downloaded 11/20/2017; article published 11/29 http://www.parent24.com/Learn/Primary-school/waldorf-schools-woolly-or-wise-20171128]
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Waldorf Watch Response:
Like much uncritical media coverage of Waldorf schools, this item allows Waldorf representatives to promote Waldorf education without hindrance or rebuttal. The purpose of the report is, explicitly, to debunk five “myths” about Waldorf education. By yielding the floor to Waldorf proponents, the report becomes, in effect, Waldorf PR.
You should certainly read the Parent24 report in its entirety — it is fairly long and reasonably detailed. But bear in mind that it is unbalanced and, thus, misleading.
Certainly you should recognize that several of the “myths” are actually true. Indeed, the pro-Waldorf folks quoted sometimes admit as much. Concerning “Myth 4,” for instance (“Waldorf Schools don’t use textbooks”), a Waldorf teacher concedes that the "myth" is generally accurate: “Yes, it is true that early readers and textbooks are generally not used in Waldorf education….”
The other “myths” are also, in whole or in part, actually true. • The Waldorf approach certainly runs contrary to much of mainstream schooling. • Science instruction is often the weakest part of the Waldorf curriculum, while great emphasis is put on arts and crafts of various kinds. • Waldorf schools do generally postpone instruction in reading and arithmetic until much later than other schools, and in general academic standards at Waldorf are lax. • While Waldorf is nor aimed at “slow learners” as such, “slow learning” is indeed characteristic of the Waldorf approach.
To explore some of these topics, you might consult “Lesson Books”, "Academic Standards at Waldorf", “The Waldorf Curriculum”, “Methods”, “Spiritual Agenda”, “Steiner’s ‘Science’”, etc. These pages at Waldorf Watch will fill in some of the gaps left by Parent24.
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As for the "popularity" of Waldorf schools: Various claims are made about the number of Waldorf schools in the world and the rate at which new the number is climbing. Sometimes the claimed total is as high as 3,000 Waldorf schools and nurseries, but such claims are clearly over the top — they would be true only if informal playgroups and other approximately Waldorfish enterprises were included. Truly reliable numbers are hard to gather; conflicting claims are common within the Waldorf movement itself. [See, e.g., the Waldorf Watch "news" item for March 17, 2013.]
In reality, there seem to be about 1,000 genuine Waldorf schools in the world now (Parent24 is right about this), but there have been about 1,000 for a good many years (Parent24 is wrong to suggest that the number is soaring). New Waldorf schools are opened with some regularity on continents around the world, but some of these schools fail, and many are quite small.
Overall, we can say with confidence that the Waldorf movement is fairly large and, depending on one's perspective, this is either worrisome or encouraging. But despite the unsubstantiated assertions that are often made, the Waldorf movement is not setting the world on fire. Not yet, anyway.
— R.R.
November 28, 2017
WALDORF CRITICISM
& PATTERNS
A troubling series of messages has appeared in recent days on the Waldorf Critics discussion list.
Deciding what to make of such messages can be a challenge. Anecdotal accounts need to be seen in larger contexts. Many families love the Waldorf schools they have joined, and among those who become disenchanted, the usual response is to leave quietly, without raising explosive charges.
Still, the following messages fall within recognizable patterns. Other families have had similar, distressing experiences at Waldorf schools. At a minimum, anyone thinking of sending a child to a Waldorf school should think carefully about the issues raised by such messages.
Message #1
[W]e have been involved in 4 Waldorf schools in the United States. At all four Waldorf schools…we have experienced subtle racism and white supremacy viewpoints weaved into the curriculum….
…I honestly didn't really fully wake up to this reality until we arrived at [Waldorf School X] so my daughter could join the 6th grade class there this past August. We have always had issues around the discipline styles used by teachers at Waldorf schools and definitely noticed that the curriculum was mostly Euro-centric but 6th grade brought up diversity and historical inaccuracy issues that were disturbing and seemed to be taught without any critical thinking whatsoever. We raised our concerns with the teacher and the faculty chair...but never received a response from either for over 3 weeks.…
…Our concerns with the curriculum included a poem recited by the 7th grade at the Middle School Concert about Christopher Columbus "discovering" America, the issue of slavery being used for humor in the 6th grade play, and the controversy around the hostile depiction of Judaism in the book "The Bronze Bow" which was recently assigned as a reader to the 6th grade class. We were also interested in talking to the school staff about establishing a Diversity Committee since there is no such effort currently on-going at the school. There were other issues we raised as well around the 6th grade teacher talking negatively about our daughter to other students as well as the eurythmy teacher restraining my child's hands when she was fidgeting.…
My husband and I met with the Interim School Administrator and the Chair of the Board just yesterday (this was our first meeting ever with these two people at the school) and they informed us that our daughter was being dismissed from the school effectively immediately. I'm just wondering if anyone else has ever experienced such treatment from the administration of a Waldorf school for simply raising concerns with the school staff?….
— "Heather Bleau" [11/21/17 https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/31662]
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Message #2
Dear Heather,
...Your story parallels mine. We were kicked out of [Waldorf School Y] after expressing our concerns about racism in Steiner books sold at the school, Steiner pseudoscience in the curriculum, and the promotion of quack medicine to the parents. We were not allowed to bring our issues before the governing “college of teachers.” A delegation told us that we didn’t have to believe what they believed, but if we were critical of Anthroposophy to other parents, we would have to go.
We learned that the role of parents in a Waldorf school was to be thankful and supportive, not to try to improve the school.
“Cult-like” is an appropriate term to describe this kind of behavior.
— Dan Dugan [11/21/17 https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/31663]
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Message #3
Hello Heather,
I read your post with a mix of anger and sadness for what the school has put you through. Unfortunately, it’s a story I’ve heard before in multiple variations.
Although my family’s Waldorf experience is not exactly the same as yours, there are some similarities. ... [M]any years ago our daughter was one of four 15-year-old girls who were victims of unwanted touching by a part-time male teacher who had years before been asked to resign as a full-time teacher because he had a sexual relationship with a high school student ... At least three teachers broke mandated reporting laws and made aggressive attempts to intimidate my daughter into saying that the touching did not happen. What followed were lies and targeting of our daughter that caused her emotional harm. Our attempts to set up a meeting with the board were ignored. Eventually we received a letter from the school saying our daughter was not invited to return the following year. They wrote in a newsletter that the part-time teacher was leaving to spend more time with his family. I think it was only three years later that he was back at the school as a part-time teacher again....
…I know what you and your family are going through right now is distressing, but I believe there will come a time when you might consider your family’s separation from the Waldorf school to have been a blessing in disguise. As my husband and I learned more about the deeply embedded Anthroposophic nature of Waldorf education, we realized that our children were better off elsewhere. Our only regret was that we hadn’t found out sooner….
— Margaret Sachs [11/26/17 https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/31669]
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Waldorf Watch Response:
Waldorf schools tend to be close-knit, insular societies. When criticized, they often become defensive and antagonistic. Considerable conflict and pain may result. [1]
The most problematic issue that has often arisen concerning Waldorf schools centers on the racism embedded in Anthroposophy. [2] Presmuably, few is any Waldorf teachers today are avowed racists. But the racial teachings of Rudolf Steiner remain an unresolved legacy for the Waldorf movement. [3]
Sexual abuse of students is presumably even more rare in Waldorf schools than overt expressions of racism. But such abuse is by no means unknown in these schools, and some critics charge that the culture within the schools lends itself to the development of improper relationships between teachers and students. [4]
It is probably safe to say that most people who establish long-term ties with Waldorf schools have few if any serious complaints. They are either satisfied or, at least, they have not felt a need to depart. Still, troubling reports do emerge from the Waldorf universe from time to time, and often they are consistent with recognizable, long-established patterns of complaint about these schools. [5] Anyone thinking of sending a child to a Waldorf school should, at a minimum, look into these matters. [6]
— R.R.
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Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] See "Cautionary Tales".
[2] See "Embedded Racism".
[3] See "Steiner's Racism" and "Races".
[4] See "Extremity".
[5] See, e.g., "Our Experience", "Coming Undone", "Moms", and "Pops".
[6] The three messages touch on a few other issues. Concerning discipline in Waldorf schools, see, e.g., "Slaps". Concerning Anthroposophical medicine, see "Steiner's Quackery". Concerning the Waldorf take on science, see "Steiner's 'Science'" and "Science".
November 26, 2017
ACADEMIC STANDARDS,
AND TURMOIL, AT WALDORF
From Castanet [British Columbia, Canada]:
’Their report cards are a lie’
[by] Nicholas Johansen
After spending tens of thousands of dollars in tuition at a Kelowna private school, David Brough found his Grade 2 son was reading and writing at or below a kindergarten level.
Prior to leaving Kelowna Waldorf School, his report cards said he had been meeting all expectations.
Brough's son is one of several former Waldorf students who have been left behind, Castanet has learned.
The Broughs were one of dozens of families who left the school last year, after political infighting drove many away.
Upon leaving, Brough had his son assessed by an education specialist before transferring to another school. His son didn't know the sounds of most letters in the alphabet.
“This is about students who are dramatically behind, while their report cards say they are at the levels they need to be,” Brough said. “Their report cards are a lie.”
His son's last report card stated that he met grade levels across the board, including spelling “high-usage words,” applying spelling knowledge, and printing and handwriting neatly.
“My kid can't spell at all today,” Brough said. “This is where I get angry.”
The assessor said she has seen similar reading and literacy issues with 10 other former Waldorf students....
…Independent schools in B.C. receive government funding in addition to tuition from their students. For the 2016-17 school year, Kelowna Waldorf School received more than $500,000 from the province.
The Ministry of Education responded to several concerns at the school last year, but says the school complied with all requests for “adjustments to programs and reporting.” The ministry would not say what those changes were.
Other parents of former Waldorf students shared similar stories.
“My Grade 5 boy was at ... pretty much a Grade 1 reading level, and my Grade 3 boy was at a kindergarten reading level,” said Tammi Organ....
…In response to the parents' concerns, Rick Salsa, president of the school's board of trustees, said in an email: “I can say with confidence that our teachers and administrative staff make every effort to help all our students meet their expected grade levels.”
Salsa said he didn't have time for an interview.
[11-26-2017; article published 11-24 https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-212256-1-.htm]
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Waldorf Watch Response:
Parents of Waldorf students are often shocked to discover how little their children have learned at school. [1] The problem is worst for students in the lower grades. Waldorf schools typically do not teach reading and arithmetic until the students reach age 7 — or even later. The reason? The schools are waiting for the kids' invisible "etheric bodies" to incarnate. Amazing but true. [2]
Waldorf spokesfolks usually claim that Waldorf students catch up with, and perhaps even surpass, students at other schools eventually. This claim is not well documented, however. In general, academic standards at Waldorf schools tend to be low. [3] The schools are focused on other things, primarily things of the spirit.
"We [Waldorf teachers] want to be aware that physical existence is a continuation of the spiritual, and that what we have to do in education is a continuation of what higher beings [the gods] have done ... Our form of educating can have the correct attitude only when we are aware that our work with young people is a continuation of what [the gods] have done before birth." — Rudolf Steiner. [4]
The question here becomes whether the spiritual realm described in Anthroposophy actually exists, or is it a mere fantasy? [5] Another, equally important question is whether the students' parents have been informed about the schools' aims. Have the parents been told that Waldorf teachers often consider themselves to be priests who want to guide their students' spiritual lives? [6] Have the parents been consulted about this; has their permission been sought; or have they been deceived? [7]
As for the "political inflighting" that led to a mass exodus from Kelowna Waldorf School last year: Such turmoil is far from rare in Waldorf schools. Cliques and factions often form among Waldorf faculty members, largely as the result of doctrinal disputes. [8] A disillusioned former member of a Waldorf board of directors has given this report:
"[B]ehind closed doors, [our Waldorf faculty] were all backstabbers. Seemingly insecure people competing for the top position on the Anthroposophical dog pile. It was never pretty. There was a lot of acting out, both blatant and passive (aggressive). I thought it was just this school, these teachers at the time. Now I think it comes out of some very deep flaws that Anthroposophy is incapable of dealing with. At least so far." — Debra Snell. [9]
Of course, conditions are not so harsh all the time at all Waldorf schools. But, to put the matter mildly, tranquility does not always reign. Sometimes, the upshot is that Waldorf schools fail. While a concerted effort is made to open new Waldorf schools wherever possible, not all of these schools survive and prosper. [10]
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Just as parents need to be concerned about what actually happens inside Waldorf schools, so should education authorities. Have they been deceived?
When Waldorf schools promise to meet official educational standards, but then clearly fail to do so, official action may be necessary.
At the first Waldorf school, the faculty made little or no effort to prepare graduating students for the examination they would need to pass in order to receive official recognition of their educational attainment. And the teachers kept their actual intentions hidden.
"It is a question of whether we dare tell those who come to us that we will not prepare them for the final examination at all, that it is a private decision of the student whether to take the final examination or not.” — Rudolf Steiner. [11]
— R.R.
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Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] See, e.g., "Our Experience".
[2] It is true that Anthroposophists believe in invisible etheric bodies. They also believe in invisible "astral bodies" and invisible "ego bodies." [See "Incarnation".] Are these beliefs correct? Are they, in and of themselves, true? Few people outside Anthroposophy think so. But beliefs of this sort have paramount importance in Waldorf thinking.
[3] See "Academic Standards at Waldorf".
[4] Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE - Foundations of Waldorf Education, Vol. 1 (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 37. [See "Spiritual Agenda".]
[5] See, e.g. "Higher Worlds".
[6] See "Schools as Churches".
[7] See, e.g., “Secrets”.
[8] See, e.g., "Ex-Teacher 4" and "His Education".
[9] See "Coming Undone".
[10] See "Failure".
[11] Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 725. [See "Academic Standards at Waldorf".]
November 25, 2017
THE WALDORF WAY,
INCLUDING KNITTING
From The Conway Daily Sun [New Hampshire, USA]:
The Waldorf Way —
Handwork at
The White Mountain Waldorf School
…Waldorf students have a “can do” attitude. They develop this as they grow, embracing a rich, well-planned curriculum. Students master skills and concepts in mathematics, language arts, history, [etc.] … Students also study woodworking and handwork….
Handwork has the important function of establishing and activating pathways in the brain. Current research shows a connection between fine motor skills and brain development. Using the fine motor muscles in the hand can stimulate cellular development in the brain, strengthening the physical foundation of thinking.…
…One of the most important lessons of handwork is the “can do” attitude students develop….
…Wonder if a Waldorf education is right for your child? Come visit!
[downloaded 11-25-2017; article published 11/24 https://www.conwaydailysun.com/community/education/the-waldorf-way-handwork-at-the-white-mountain-waldorf-school/article_93426056-caec-11e7-99a7-b364a1d5d1a9.html]
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Waldorf Watch Response:
Articles about Waldorf schools published in small newspapers are often little more than Waldorf PR. (The author of this “news” article is the handwork teacher at the White Mountain Waldorf School. The article, which praises Waldorf's "rich, well-planned curriculum," ends in a recruitment pitch: "Come visit!")
When you read such glowing accounts, you may want to crank your BS detector to high. The article about “The Waldorf Way” is full of striking claims — such as the one about “current research” on the brain — but it provides no actual evidence or citations. We should always ask for substantiation, resisting the impulse to be bowled over by enthusiastic, uncritical, unsubstantiated puff pieces.
What did Rudolf Steiner actually say about handwork, such as knitting? What is the original rationale for emphasizing handwork, such as knitting, in Waldorf schools? The reason — as is almost always the case at Waldorf — is mystical and bizarre.
“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.
Handwork may in fact provide many benefits. Handwork may well be beneficial to the brain. But the thinking on which Waldorf education is founded — Rudolf Steiner's occult vision — is almost completely irrational. It is one thing to say that handwork might stimulate the brain; it is something entirely different to say that handwork produces good teeth.* Taking such thinking seriously requires a deep dive into a murky abyss of hokum. Yet some people believe Steiner. Some try to find rationalizations for his pronouncements. And some of the people who endorse Steiner teach in Waldorf schools.
This is worth thinking over.
By all means, you should visit any Waldorf school that will let you in. But take your BS detector with you.
[To delve into the Waldorf way a bit more, see, e.g., “Holistic Education”.]
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* I am not joking, and neither was Steiner. Steiner meant what he said about knitting and teeth. The following is from the record of a faculty meeting at the first Waldorf school:
“Handwork. Knitting develops good teeth.” — FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 112.
That was Steiner's claim; that was his wisdom; that is what he told the teachers at the first Waldorf school. And evidently they believed him. They did not hoot him down. They did not resign in protest. They heard him out on this and many other subjects, accepting his dingbat views without apparent qualms.
This is worth thinking over.
[To delve into the Waldorf way a bit more, see, e.g., “Faculty Meetings” and "Steiner's Blunders".]
— R.R.
November 14, 2017
WALDORF CHARTERS
& PSEUDOSCIENCE
From Meridian Press [Idaho, USA]:
Proposed Waldorf school earns
state charter with conditions
The group is seeking a state charter to potentially open two public K-8 charter schools in Boise and Eagle
The Idaho Public Charter School Commission has approved the proposed Peace Valley Charter School with conditions. School leadership will go back before the commission on Dec. 14 to review the conditions.
Peace Valley would be a free, public charter school based on the Waldorf model. The school plans to open for grades K-6 in August in either Boise or Eagle, and then eventually expand to K-8, said Laura Henning, board president of Peace Valley Charter School, Inc.
Peace Valley would be the first Waldorf school in the Treasure Valley, she said. The philosophy, which originated a century ago in Germany and Austria, focuses on the individual development of students and incorporates art and nature into learning, she said. The use of computers and digital devices is limited....
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Waldorf Watch Response:
"Charter schools," in the USA, are essentially private schools that are incorporated into the public school system. Operating under "charters" that lay out their educational programs, they receive public financing for the purpose of offering alternative educational approaches. Similar alternative schools in the UK are called "free school" there. Numerous Waldorf charter schools and free schools are now planned or are already up and running.
In order to gain approval from educational authorities, the groups proposing Waldorf charter schools often describe their intentions in the most anodyne terms, not unlike those reported in the item above. Usually, the real nature of Waldorf education is concealed, to one degree or another. The reality is that Waldorf schools are fronts for Anthroposophy, a new-age religion. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?" and "Schools as Churches."]
Of course, a Waldorf-style school may be proposed by people who are not committed Anthroposophists; the school they have in mind may not be meant to conform to the occult, mystical nature of real Waldorf schooling. [See. e.g., "Non-Waldorf Waldorf".] The challenge for educational authorities is to penetrate to the actual intentions of the applicants, which may mean drilling down to the occult doctrines of Anthroposophy, a daunting task. Understandably, authorities may often approve a Waldorf application without having delved that deeply. The consequences for kids who wind up attending Waldorf charter schools may be profound — in some cases, profoundly damaging, if eventually the schools engage in Anthroposophical indoctrination. [See "Indoctrination".]
The article about Peace Valley Charter School does not clarify the real nature of the proposed school, nor does it specify the "conditions" included in the commission's approval. These are matters of potentially great importance to the people in the communities of "Boise or Eagle," but they need not detain us. (A bit more detail — but still anodyne and potentially misleading — is presented at the proposed schools website: http://www.peacevalleycharter.org.) The larger issue is recognizing the challenges that are raised when Waldorf charter schools are proposed.
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Groups proposing Waldorf charter schools are able to draw on arguments and claims that Waldorf proponents have been sharpening for many years. Thus, for instance, the following statement is made on the Peace Valley website:
A large body of evidence from the last 20 years of neuroscientific inquiry supports the fundamental principles of Waldorf education. The timing and organization of brain development are prime considerations in establishing the optimal sequence for learning, as is the knowledge that the brain operates optimally when all parts are equally developed, valued, and engaged. The Waldorf methods’ holistic approach is designed to stimulate optimal brain functioning and follow a developmentally appropriate sequence to educate the child’s whole being integrating thinking, feeling, and doing. The foundation of Waldorf inspired education lies in providing the right experience at the right time.
To assess this, education authorities would need to receive extensive "neuroscientific" documentation, and then they would need to evaluate it carefully. Is the Waldorf view of the brain scientifically valid? What is Waldorf's "holistic" approach? What is the "right time" to provide specific "experiences" for growing children? These are deep, complex, and controversial issues. School boards and charter commissions may have a hard time coping with them. Indeed, rational decision-making may be overwhelmed in a blizzard of pseudoscientific jargon: "neuroscientific inquiry supports the fundamental principles...", "establishing the optimal sequence for learning...", "the brain operates optimally when all parts..", "stimulate optimal brain functioning...", "follow a developmentally appropriate sequence...", etc.
To look into Waldorf beliefs on some of these matters, see, e.g., "Holistic Education" and "Thinking". Concerning the "right time" for children to study certain subjects in certain ways, see, e.g., "Methods". Concerning the Waldorf understanding of the brain, see, e.g., "Steiner's Specific - Thinking Without Our Brains." Also see entries in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia for "brain", "intellect", "knowledge", "childhood", "seven-year stages of growth", "Waldorf curriculum", etc.
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Anyone considering Waldorf education should certainly look into the pronouncements made by the founder of Waldorf education, Rudolf Steiner. One quick example:
“You will injure children if you educate them rationally....” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, Foundations of Waldorf Education Vol. I (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 61.
[See, e.g., "Thinking Cap".]
— R.R.
November 10, 2017
WALDORF
IN OUR AGE
Today and tomorrow at the Rudolf Steiner Center, Toronto, Canada:
Parents and Teachers Working Together
in the Age of the Consciousness Soul
Waldorf Development Conference
Keynote Speaker: Carol Triggiano
Friday and Saturday, November 10-11, 2017
We live in a time when communication has become increasingly important, but also challenging. Pressure, tension and fear can erode our working together.
This modern age of the Consciousness Soul we live in requires us to lift into the full light of consciousness what was previously felt and judged instinctively…
…Against the backdrop of anthroposophy we will see how self-development can create a foundation for parent/teacher [sic] that supports the developing child.
For the past 25 years Carol Triggiano…has been a teacher at the Chicago Waldorf School, both in early childhood and in the grades [sic].
[11-10-2017 https://www.rsct.ca/index.cfm?pagepath=Development_Conference_Nov__10,_11&id=83314]
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Waldorf Watch Response:
Rudolf Steiner said that all Waldorf teachers should be “true Anthroposophists.” [1] But this goal is not always attained; Waldorf schools sometimes hire, at least temporarily, teachers who are not devoted to Anthroposophy.
Moreover, true-believing Anthroposophists on Waldorf faculties often conceal their beliefs from outsiders, such as students’ parents. [2] So the Anthroposophical nature of Waldorf education is sometimes difficult to detect.
But, then again, the Anthroposophical beliefs of Waldorf teachers like Carol Triggiano sometimes emerge into plain view. If you become interested in Waldorf education, you really should make an effort to plumb these beliefs. The process can be mind-numbing, but it can also be clarifying. This is what true-belieiving Waldorf teachers truly believe; this is what a Waldorf teacher like Carol Triggiano sees as a good basis for "parents and teachers working together."
So here’s a brief primer on the consciousness soul and the age of the consciousness soul.
Rudolf Steiner sometimes said that human beings have nine major constituent parts. On other occasions, he said we have seven parts. (And on still other occasions he spoke of four major parts or three major parts.) [3]
According to Steiner’s ninefold description of human nature, the consciousness soul — also called the spiritual soul — is the third of three soul members or soul types; it connects one's inner consciousness with the outer world. [4] When Steiner gave a sevenfold description of human nature, he identified the consciousness soul as the fifth of our major constituent parts. Seen either way, the consciousness soul incarnates at about age 42, Steiner said. This soul is under the particular influence of the Spirits of Wisdom (gods six levels higher than humanity). which means it has ties to the sphere of Jupiter. [5]
As the highest of our soul members, the consciousness soul allows greater objective comprehension than the lower soul members permit. The consciousness soul has developed as the predominant soul form only in our present cultural epoch, dating from about 1413 CE. To many, our age seems soulless; Anthroposophists believe this is because we have reached a point of deep, objective existence in the material realm, preparing us to rise in renewed, strengthened form into the spirit realm. We have separated ourselves from the world around us so that we may reintegrate ourselves later.
"Man in the age of the consciousness soul...thinks and philosophizes, but he does so in a different manner [than previously] ... [T]he consciousness soul is characterized especially by objectivity, which results from the ability of the self to withdraw completely from the subject he is studying ... In this modern age our self-consciousness has increased immeasurably as well as our consciousness of the external world, [which is why we] use of the term 'consciousness soul' to describe our present epoch." — Stewart C. Easton, MAN AND THE WORLD IN THE LIGHT OF ANTHROPOSOPHY (Anthroposophic Press, 1989), pp. 57-59.
Unfortunately, like other soul members, the consciousness soul can be perverted.
”[I]n the age now approaching [6], those spiritual Beings known as the Asuras [7] will creep into the consciousness soul ... The Asuras will generate evil with a far mightier force than was wielded by the Satanic powers [8] in the Atlantean epoch [9] or by the Luciferic Spirits [10] in the Lemurian epoch. [11]” — Rudolf Steiner, THE DEED OF CHRIST AND THE OPPOSING SPIRITUAL POWERS (Steiner Book Centre, 1954), lecture 1, GA 107.
It is on the basis of such beliefs that Waldorf teachers like Carol Triggiano want parents and teachers to work together. Are you willing to comply?
— R.R.
◊
Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] See, e.g., “Here’s the Answer”.
[2] See "Secrets".
[3] See "What We're Made Of", "Our Parts".
[4] Below the consciousness soul is the intellectual soul, and below that is the sentient soul. [See the entries for these terms in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]
[5] See “Polytheism”.
[6] This will be a new age beginning around the year 3573 CE. [See the entry for "Russian Age" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]
[7] These are demons. [See "Evil Ones".]
[8] I.e., powers or minions of the arch-demon Ahriman. Ahriman is the rival/partner of the arch-demon Lucifer. [See "Ahriman".]
[9] ] I.e., the epoch when we lived on the continent of Atlantis. [See "Atlantis".]
[10] I.e., minions of Lucifer. [See "Lucifer".]
[11] I.e., the epoch when we lived on the continent of Lemuria. We lived there before moving to Atlantis. [See "Lemuria".]
November 2-3, 2017
WALDORF
& CONTAGION
Here is a new report on the continuing problem of contagions spreading through Waldorf schools. A measles outbreak at a Waldorf school in the UK has grown from a handful of cases to nearly two dozen — nearly a tenth of the school's student population. Within the district as a whole, the total number of cases is approaching three dozen. The school is implementing various emergency measures aimed at forestalling a still larger epidemic.
The following is from GlouchestershireLive:
Christmas events cancelled
in bid to control measles at school
There are now over 30 cases in Gloucestershire - with over 20 in one school
[by] Victoria Temple
Christmas events have been cancelled at a school hit by a measles outbreak, in a bid to control the spread of the disease which has seen up to 32 cases in the county.
The outbreak which began in September has seen 22 children contract measles at Wynstones Steiner Waldorf School in Brookethorpe.
Children of all ages have been affected at the school which takes children from age three to 18, although half of the cases of measles have been among the children in the kindergarten aged three to six.
...[T]he school’s popular Advent Market and Fair on Friday 24 November and Saturday 25 November has been cancelled.
Wynstone’s Carol Concert on Friday 1 December has also been cancelled.
...Nurses have visited the school to hold vaccination sessions, and another session is planned for November 9.
...Wynstones School is a fee-paying school which follows a Steiner Waldorf curriculum, an alternative to mainstream education, with fees ranging from £2,700 to £9,155 for the oldest years.
The school has around 268 children, aged from three to 18....
[Downloaded 11-2-2017 http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/christmas-events-cancelled-bid-control-713452]
◊ • ◊
Waldorf Watch Response:
As is often true at Waldorf schools, Wynstones has sponsored vaccination sessions only after a serious disease outbreak occurred among its students.
Waldorf schools are often centers of contagion, just as they are often centers of anti-vaccination sentiment. The causal link is not hard to discern. If we do not give kids proper medical care, they are likely to get sick.
The medical practices typically employed in and around Waldorf schools — so-called "Anthroposophical medicine" — often amount to medical malpractice. [See "Steiner's Quackery".]
Rudolf Steiner did not forbid vaccination, but he strongly warned his followers to fear vaccination. So, for instance, he made statements such as the following:
◊ "[T]he spirits of darkness [i.e., demons] are going to inspire [humans] to find a vaccine that will drive all inclination towards spirituality out of people's souls when they are still very young ... Today, bodies are vaccinated against one thing and another; in future, children will be vaccinated with a substance [that will block] inclinations connected with spiritual life ... [A] way will finally be found to vaccinate bodies so that these bodies will not allow the inclination towards spiritual ideas to develop and all their lives people will believe only in the physical world ... [P]eople are now vaccinated against consumption, and in the same way they will be vaccinated against any inclination towards spirituality." — Rudolf Steiner, THE FALL OF THE SPIRITS OF DARKNESS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1993), Lecture 13, GA 177.
◊ "The soul will be made non-existent with the aid of a drug ... [P]eople will invent a vaccine to influence the organism as early as possible, preferably as soon as it is born, so that this human body never even gets the idea that there is a soul and a spirit ... [T]he heirs of modern materialism [i.e., modern scientists] will look for the vaccine to make the body ‘healthy’, that is, make its constitution such that this body no longer talks of such rubbish as soul and spirit, but takes a 'sound' view of the forces which live in engines and in chemistry ... Materialistic physicians will be asked to drive the souls out of humanity." — Ibid., Lecture 5.
How could a parent possibly allow a doctor to inject a substance into a beloved child if the syringe might contain a demonic fluid that will destroy the child's very soul?
Waldorf teachers may be nearly as wary as parents. Steiner's followers have continued to embrace the wisdom they believe he dispensed:
“Rudolf Steiner's comments [on vaccination]...leave no doubt about the ‘hidden agenda’ behind the plan to vaccinate all the world's children with as many vaccines as possible, thus devastating their spiritual development ... In the future, when more enlightened minds will look back to today and will judge our misguided vaccination zeal, I hope they will be able to say that anthroposophists were among those with the discernment and the courage [to oppose vaccination].” — Philip Incao, “Report on Vaccination”, GATEWAYS (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America), #34, Spring 1998; downloaded from the Online Waldorf Library, November 2, 2017.
◊
For previous coverage of this and related stories,
see "October, '17",
and "Aug.-Sept., '17".
For more extensive searches
(topics such as "measles",
"Anthroposophical medicine",
"vaccination", and the like),
see the "Annex Index".
◊
Addendum
In Waldorf belief, it is often best to leave childhood illnesses untreated. Children get the illnesses they need and deserve.
Above, we heard from Anthroposophical doctor Philip Incao. Let's hear more. The following is from "The Physician's Path", by Dr. Incao:
"When did mankind first become ill? ... [M]ankind became ill when Adam and Eve ate the apple of the tree of knowledgde of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. Rudolf Steiner tells us that the serpent was Lucifer [1] and the time was the epoch of Ancient Lemuria. [2] ... The event [3] was the birth of egotism for mankind. Now for the first time it was possible for the human being to be selfish ... [I]t was Lucifer who planted the seeds of both egotism and materialism in mankind in Lemuria ... [W]hat we usually call illness — cancer, arthritis, pneumonia — are not the real illnesses. The real illnesses, the original illnesses of mankind, are egotism and materialism ... Illnesses such as arthritis and cancer are the remedies [sic] for the original soul sicknesses of egotism and materialism. [4] And Rudolf Steiner tells us that the scales are held in perfect balance. There is exactly as much pain and suffering in the world as there is interest in only the material and the physical. [5] Our egotism and materialism would obstruct our evolution [6] if we were not able to become sick when we need to. [7]" — Philip Incao, "The Physician's Path" [downloaded 11-3-2017 http://philipincao.crestonecolorado.com/index_htm_files/Physicians%20path.pdf].
— R.R.
◊
Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] According to Anthroposophical doctrine, Lucifer is one of two great demons who tempt mankind; the other great demon who tempts us is Ahriman. [See "Lucifer" and "Ahriman".]
[2] Lemuria was the continent where, Anthroposophists believe, humanity dwelled before moving to Atlantis. [See "Lemuria".] (Note that the Bible does not locate the Garden of Eden in Lemuria. Indeed, there are no references to Lemuria in the Bible.)
[3] I.e., succumbing to Lucifer's temptation.
[4] I.e., ordinary illnesses (which are essentially illusory) cleanse us of our deeper problems, the "soul sicknesses" or egotism and materialism. Thus, contracting ordinary illnesses is often a blessing.
[5] I.e., we suffer and become ill because we direct our attention to the physical or material plane of existence instead of the spirit realm.
[6] In Anthroposophical belief, the chief aim of human life is to evolve to higher and higher states of spiritual consciousness. [See the entries for "evolution" and "evolution of consciousness" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]
[7] I.e., we need to become ill at various times and in various ways in order to clear our systems of problems that impede our spiritual evolution. Preventing illness is, then, often an error.
November 1, 2017
WALDORF TEACHERS
& MEDITATION
The bonds between Waldorf schools and Anthroposophy are deep and strong. As one Waldorf teacher has written, "Waldorf teachers must be anthroposophists first and teachers second." [1]
Learning to be a proper Waldorf teacher is essentially indistinguishable from learning to be a practicing Anthroposophist.
Here are excerpts from an article available today, Nov. 1, 2017, at the website of the Research Institute for Waldorf Education. The article, published in the Institute's Research Bulletin [2], is addressed to Waldorf teachers:
Soul Breathing Exercises [3]
[by] Denis Klocek
Editor’s Comment [4]: In this brief article, Dennis Klocek offers a short, practical contribution to the inner, meditative practice of teachers. His is the first of what is hoped will be a series of regular contributions from him and from others in support of this all-important aspect of Waldorf education.
Soul breathing exercises are useful tools for transforming belief structures in your soul that may be preventing growth [5] ... The goal of these exercises is to see how your spirit biography [6] and your present biography [7] are linked. This gives insight into karma. [8]
...Bring to mind the image of a loved one who has departed [i.e., died]. Set yourself to wondering about what this person is doing now in the dimension where he or she now exists.... [9]
...Next, imagine a situation in which you were involved in a strong trial. Recall the feelings around the trial and focus on one of them ... [S]ee if you can recall a similar trial in the life of a departed loved one ... Take these images into sleep for seven days in succession....
...Ask the departed to show you how to turn your soul towards forgiveness ... Your feeling of harmony for the departed and the way in which they are membered into the world soul [10] allows them to participate in your soul life in a creative and productive way [11] ....
[Etc.]
Dennis Klocek lectures internationally ... He has written seven books ... He is the Director of the Consciousness Studies program at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, CA.... [12]
[downloaded 11-1-2017 http://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/research-bulletin-articles/]
◊ • ◊
Waldorf Watch Response:
Do the soul-breathing exercises described by Klocek actually work? You can try them for yourself, if you like.
The point to note here, however, is simply this: Waldorf education is inextricably linked to Anthroposophy. The Anthroposophical exercises laid out here represent an "all-important aspect of Waldorf education."
Learning to be a proper Waldorf teacher is essentially indistinguishable from learning to be a practicing Anthroposophist.
— R.R.
◊
Waldorf Watch Footnotes
[1] Gilbert Childs, STEINER EDUCATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE (Floris Books, 1991), p. 166.
[2] The article appeared in the Fall//Winter, 2011, issue of the Research Bulletin. It remains available online today.
[3] Anthroposophists believe that humans have both souls and spirits. The soul is one's spiritual identity in a single incarnation; the spirit is one's immortal spiritual self, carried through all incarnations. (Incarnation and reincarnation are other key Anthroposophical beliefs.) The soul is believed to "breathe." The exercises described here have to do primarily with the soul primarily and secondarily with the spirit. [For definitions of various terms used here, see, e.g., The Semi-Steiner Dictionary.]
[4] I.e., the comments are by the editor of the Research Bulletin, not by Yrs. Trly.
[5] Steiner taught that Anthroposophy is a science, not a religion. Thus, Anthroposophy does not consist of "beliefs" — it consists of knowledge. Mere beliefs can trap a soul, while knowledge can free it.
However, in reality, Anthroposophy is a religion. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] The very soul exercises we are reviewing here contain several Anthroposophical beliefs.
[6] I.e., the history of your immortal spirit.
[7] I.e., the history of your current incarnation.
[8] Karma is yet another key Anthroposophical belief.
[9] Anthroposophists believe that departed individuals are indeed still alive — they exist in the spirit realm, where they are preparing for their next incarnations.
[10] Anthroposophists believe that the world or Earth is alive, and it has its own soul. If the meaning of "world" is expanded to embrace the entire cosmos in which humanity exists, then the "world soul" is the transcendent soul of the cosmos. In either case, Anthroposphists believe, enlightened humans — in particular Anthroposophists themselves — participate affirmatively in the soul of the world; indeed they are, in a sense, the central expression and focus of this soul.
[11] Anthroposophists believe that they can interact with the dead. Their actions can affect the dead, and the dead can in turn affect the living.
[12] Rudolf Steiner College has long been a leading Waldorf teacher-training institution in the USA.
October 20, 2017
From the lead article posted now at Waldorf Today:
What Would Steiner Say… About Painting with Children?
By Steve Sagarin, PhD
If Rudolf Steiner walked into a Waldorf school painting class today, what might he notice, and what might he say? (I don’t wish to offend anyone who believes I’m being impertinent by putting words in Steiner’s mouth, but my intention, through reference to what Steiner is recorded to have said, and also to what there’s no record of him ever saying, is to make more immediate what would otherwise be dry.)
Q. What about all that wet-on-wet watercolor painting? [1]
A. Believe it or not, I never said anything about that! [2] I only said that the paint should be liquid. Yes, it’s a way to keep the paper flat and to have the colors bump up against one another in a beautiful way, but it’s not necessary, and it’s certainly not something to carry on year after year through elementary school.
Q. What about paintings of one color only? [3]
A. Again, I never said anything about that! ... [Etc.]
[downloaded 10-20-2017 http://www.waldorftoday.com/2017/10/what-would-steiner-say-about-painting-with-children/]
◊ • ◊
Waldorf Watch Response:
Trying to decide what Steiner did or did not say about various topics occupies a great deal of time among Waldorf teachers. Steiner was the undisputed font of "wisdom" for teachers at the first Waldorf school [4], and he remains the font of wisdom at Waldorf schools today. There is a reason, after all, that another name for Waldorf schools is "Steiner schools."
Generally speaking, disputes among Waldorf teachers can be settled by a simple expedient: If one or another teacher can cite a statement made by Steiner, the dispute is effectively settled. Steiner said X, so X must be true.
Of course, complications may arise. Steiner was often vague, and he contradicted himself a lot. [5] Thus, it may happen that a Waldorf teacher quotes Steiner saying X, but the meaning of X may be unclear. Or, sometimes, after one teacher quotes Steiner saying X, another teacher quotes him saying not-X. So the intramural disputes may rumble on.
And there is a deeper problem. Should we actually care what Steiner said? Should a dispute actually be settled on the basis of what Steiner did or didn't say? Or shouldn't we, instead, examine the subject of the dispute, using our own brains and knowledge, and try to figure out what is right? Should kids be taught to do wet-on-wet painting or not? Why? Shouldn't we try to figure this out for ourselves, regardless of what some "authority" once said on the subject?
Now, you may not care very much about wet-on-wet painting, so let's consider another example. At many Waldorf schools, teachers allow bullying to go unpunished because they believe that some children have the karma to be bullies, other students have the karma to be bullied, and karma must be allowed to work itself out. [6]
Is this how Steiner said Waldorf teachers should think about bullying, or isn't it? Or should anyone care what Steiner said about bullying? Isn't it obvious that permitting bullies to hurt other kids is wrong, whether or not concepts like karma are tossed into the discussion, and whether or not Steiner expressed an opinion on the matter?
Waldorf teachers often spend a lot of time inquiring into Rudolf Steiner's opinions. It is wasted time. The way to figure out what to do about X, Y, or Z is to study X, Y, or Z carefully and logically, and then to proceed sensibly on the basis of modern knowledge.
Waldorf teachers often care very much about Steiner's opinions. [7] They should not. And certainly we should not. — RR
◊
Waldorf Watch Footnotes:
[1] This is a type of watercolor painting that is almost universal in Waldorf schools. It consists of painting with watery colors on wet paper, often with a wide, wet brush. [See, e.g., "Magical Arts".]
[2] A point of logic arises here. It is impossible to know that Steiner never said X, Y, or Z. We can come close to knowing this if we have read and absorbed every single statement written by Steiner or authoritatively attributed to him — a vast body of work. (Visit the Rudolf Steiner Archive to get a feel for Steiner's immense oeuvre.) But even if we accomplish that extremely arduous feat — and even if we agree not to quibble over hypothetical statements Steiner may have made but no one wrote down — there is always a chance that a lost scrap of paper will be unearthed tomorrow, revealing a statement by Steiner that contradicts what we thought we knew. Sagarin presumably means that he has read Steiner's a lot of Steiner's works, and he has not found that Steiner ever said X, Y, or Z.
[3] This sort of painting is also common in Waldorf schools. [See, e.g., "Mystic Lesson Books".]
[4] It is instructive, for instance, to read the records of faculty meetings conducted by Steiner at the first Waldorf. [See "Faculty Meetings".]
[5] See, e.g., "Steiner's Illogic" and "Steiner's Blunders".
[6] See, e.g., "Slaps".
[7] Steiner is not just lionized among his followers; he is virtually deified. [See "Guru" and "What a Guy".] It is telling that Sagarin begins his essay by assuring his readers that he does not mean to be "impertinent by putting words in Steiner’s mouth." He know that any impertinence toward Steiner would surely "offend" typical visitors to the Waldorf Today website.
October 17, 2017
Here is an announcement of an upcoming event at Rudolf Steiner College, along with the description of a workshop that will be part of the event. Rudolf Steiner College — which for many years has trained Waldorf teachers — is located in Fair Oaks, California, USA.
8th Annual Early Childhood Symposium
The Five Golden Keys of Early Childhood:
Protecting the Child and the Teacher’s Etheric
November 10-12, 2017
Join us for a weekend of singing, puppetry, workshops, and inspiration.
◊
Here is the description of a workshop that will be offered at the symposium. (The description verges on incoherence, but I will quote it verbatim. With a little work, you should be able to ferret out its meaning, more or less.)
Strengthening our Etheric with Lee Sturgeon Day
“All anxiety arises from being out of touch with reality.” - Rudolf Steiner
The etheric is the life giving and healing realm, within each of us, between others, and ourselves and which unites us with the world around, both visible and unseen. This workshop will offer some practical and creative ways of strengthening our relationships, our deep, but often broken, connection, and ourselves with the healing forces in the world around us.* Come and enjoy working with images, picturing your child, and supporting each other in this great and challenging adventure of life!
[announcement and description downloaded 10-17-2017 http://steinercollege.edu/childhood-symposium/]
◊ • ◊
Waldorf Watch Response:
The intertwined terms “the teacher’s etheric” and "our etheric" are particularly evocative, and they open a window onto the occult beliefs that are almost always present just below the surface of all genuine Waldorf schools.
If you want to delve a little into these matters, the following may help:
◊ "Ether - in general, shapeless and invisible life force, also called the fifth element or 'quintessence' in addition to the four elements of earth, water, air and fire ... [There are four ethers:] warmth ether, light ether, sound ether, life ether ... [T]he life ether...is considered to be the most highly evolved ether of a given entity ... Life ether encompasses and sustains [an incarnated being] as a well-defined living entity." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), pp. 37-38.
◊ "Ether body [often called the etheric body] - one of the four members or bodies of the human being, also called 'life body' because it keeps plant, animal and human being alive. At death, the ether body is separated from the physical body. Due to this separation, the physical body falls into decay, since it cannot maintain its form by itself. Then the human ether body slowly dissolves into the general ether of the earth." — Ibid., p. 38.
◊ "Etheric aura - every living being, a plant, an animal or human being, has an ether body which can be seen as a luminous configuration [an aura] round the physical body by people who develop the necessary perception [clairvoyance]. The earth as a living being also has an ether body of its own." — Ibid., p. 39.
It is important to understand that Waldorf education is built upon such beliefs. Thus, the etheric body is believed to incarnate at around age seven. A higher body — the astral body — is believed to incarnate around age 14, and a still higher body — the ego body, or the "I" — is believed to incarnate at the end of childhood, around age 21. The Waldorf curriculum is keyed to these incarnations. [See "Incarnation" and "Here's the Answer".] If these beliefs are wrong, then Waldorf education is wrong. And if you cannot subscribe to these beliefs, then Waldorf education is wrong for you and your children.
— R.R.
◊
* I'll take a stab at a paraphrase:
The etheric is the realm of life-giving and healing forces that exists within each of us and between all of us. It unites us with the world around us, both the visible world and the unseen world. This workshop will offer some practical and creative ways of strengthening a) our relationships with one another, b) our deep — but often broken — connection to the healing forces in the world around us, and c) ourselves as individuals.
October 7, 2017
From the Camden Haven COURIER [Australia],
announcing openings in a new Steiner school:
[by] Peter Daniels
Work to upgrade a Table Street hall to house the Port Macquarie Steiner School will begin shortly.
...[E]nrolments for term 1, 2018 are now open.
...Spokesperson Alanna Alfaro says interviews for trained and experienced Steiner teachers will commence next week.
“Applications from teachers are currently being processed to select the foundation staff for the school,” she said.
“Steiner Education is modelled on the work of Rudolf Steiner, based on the development of the child in every aspect – physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally.
“Steiner Education helps to connect children to their natural environment, cultivates reverence and respect for one another and the world around us, integrates the arts in all aspects of the curriculurm, brings liveliness to learning, and appreciates the special qualities of childhood.”
[downloaded 10-7-2017 http://www.camdencourier.com.au/story/4964603/steiner-school-for-port-macquarie/]
◊ • ◊
Waldorf Watch Response:
Steiner spokespeople can hardly be blamed for describing Steiner or Waldorf education in the most attractive terms. They need to recruit students, after all. And, often, they are genuinely, deeply convinced that their form of education is marvelous.
The problem for parents is that quite often the descriptions given by Steiner spokespeople turn out to be misleading. Some parents select Steiner/Waldorf schools for their kids only to become seriously disillusioned later on. [See, e.g., "Our Experience", "Coming Undone", "Moms", and "Pops".]
At root, the problem is that Steiner education is based on a belief system consisting of occult (secret or hidden) spiritual doctrines. [See, e.g., "Occultism" and "Secrets".] Rudolf Steiner's devout followers genuinely believe that they possess cosmic, clairvoyant insights that must be withheld from the general public. [See, e.g., "Clairvoyance" and "Inside Scoop".]
Steiner spokesperson Alanna Alfaro may have told reporter Peter Daniels the absolute truth, to the best of her knowledge. But what, if anything, has been left out of the description of Steiner education given in the Camden Haven COURIER? Here are a few glimpses, suggesting what Steiner/Waldorf schooling is really all about:
◊ "Waldorf education is based upon the recognition that the four bodies of the human being [the physical, etheric, astral, and ego bodies] develop and mature at different times.” — Waldorf teacher Roberto Trostli, RHYTHMS OF LEARNING: What Waldorf Education Offers Children, Parents & Teachers (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 4-5.
◊ “[T]he purpose of [Waldorf] education is to help the individual fulfill his karma.” — Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 52.
◊ “One question that is often asked is: ‘Is a Waldorf school a religious school?’ ... [T]he Waldorf school is essentially religious.” — Waldorf teacher Jack Petrash, UNDERSTANDING WALDORF EDUCATION (Nova Institute, 2002), p. 134.
◊ “Waldorf education strives to create a place in which the highest beings [i.e., the gods]...can find their home.” — Anthroposophist Joan Almon, WHAT IS A WALDORF KINDERGARTEN? (SteinerBooks, 2007), p. 53.
◊ "Waldorf education is a form of practical anthroposophy." — Waldorf teacher Keith Francis , THE EDUCATION OF A WALDORF TEACHER (iUniverse, 2004), p. xii.
◊ "Waldorf teachers must be anthroposophists first and teachers second." — Waldorf teacher Gilbert Childs, STEINER EDUCATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE (Floris Books, 1991), p. 166.
Steiner or Waldorf schools do not, principally, focus on educating children in any conventional sense. They focus, instead, on enacting the religion called Anthroposophy. The statements we have just read reflect a few of the beliefs embraced in this religion, such as:
◊ children have — or will develop — four bodies
◊ children have karmas
◊ there are many gods
◊ various gods find their homes in Waldorf schools
[See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?", "Polytheism", and "Spiritual Agenda".]
Not all teachers in these schools are fully committed to Anthroposophy, but Rudolf Steiner said they all should be: "As Waldorf teachers, we must be true anthroposophists.” — FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 118. And we have just now read Gilbert Childs seconding Steiner: "Waldorf teachers must be anthroposophists first and teachers second."
Some Steiner or Waldorf schools are more wholly infused with Anthroposophical religious fervor than others. Some press Anthroposophy on their students in unmistakable fashion; others are far more subtle and indirect in their missionary work. [See, e.g., "Sneaking It In".] But the truth is that all genuine Steiner or Waldorf schools are, to one degree or another, Anthroposophical religious institutions. [See "Schools as Churches".] Thus, tellingly, these schools typically require the students to begin each day by reciting, aloud and in unison, prayers written by Rudolf Steiner. [See "Prayers".]
How deeply Anthroposophical will the new Port Macquarie Steiner School turn out to be? That remains to be seen. But at least one clue is available. The organizers of the school are seeking "trained and experienced Steiner teachers." Usually, such teachers are well versed in Anthroposophy, and many will prove to be devout adherents of that faith. [See, e.g., "Teacher Training" and "He Went to Waldorf".]
Deciding to send you child to a Steiner or Waldorf school is a serious matter. Perhaps it is the right decision for you and your child. But you should make the decision with your eyes fully open.
— R.R.
October 6, 2017
From the course catalogue of the Waldorf Institute of Southern California (WISC), a Waldorf teacher-training institution:
Foundation Studies
Foundation studies are also woven throughout the three-year program cycle. As a pedagogical basis, we have designed our work with [Rudolf Steiner's book] The Study of Man to occur within the three-year timeframe, each year covering approximately a third of the text. The Balance in Teaching lecture course [lectures by Rudolf Steiner] is also woven into the pedagogical work.
WISC students study three of Rudolf Steiner’s basic anthroposophical books: Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path during the grades 1-3 focus year; Theosophy during the grades 4-5 focus year; An Outline of Esoteric Science during the grades 6-8 year. Both more experienced and newer students benefit from their shared engagement with the foundational materials, which are actively approached throughout all three years of the program.
In this way, our program demonstrates the reality that anthroposophical studies are not a finite achievement that ends after some period of time, but rather, constitute an ongoing process in the life of a teacher.
[downloaded 10-6-2017; catalogue last revised 9-03-2017 http://www.waldorfteaching.org/waldorf_institute_course_catalog.shtml, p. 20.]
◊ • ◊
Waldorf Watch Response:
Proponents of Waldorf education often claim that Waldorf today is free of any mysticism or occultism of the sort that Rudolf Steiner may have promulgated long ago.
The reality is that Waldorf teachers today receive instruction in Steiner's occult beliefs much as their predecessors did, and they are expected to base their work on those beliefs. They receive such instruction during their training to become Waldorf teachers, and they are encouraged to continue studying Steiner's occult teachings — which constitute the essence of Anthroposophy — throughout their careers. ("[A]nthroposophical studies are not a finite achievement that ends after some period of time, but rather, constitute an ongoing process in the life of a teacher.")
To put the matter plainly: The doctrines of Anthroposophy continue to inform Waldorf education today. This is why, in the description of "Foundation Studies" provided in the WISC catalogue, we see that Waldorf trainees study at least five Steiner texts: STUDY OF MAN, BALANCE IN TEACHING, INTUITIVE THINKING AS A SPIRITUAL PATH, THEOSOPHY, and AN OUTLINE OF ESOTERIC SCIENCE (original title: AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE).
Any trainee who takes these texts to heart will become, in effect, a believing, practicing Anthroposophist. Thereby, she will fulfill Steiner's basic requirement for Waldorf teachers:
“As teachers in the Waldorf School, you will need to find your way more deeply into the insight of the spirit and to find a way of putting all compromises aside ... 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.
All five of the books assigned by WISC under the heading "Foundation Studies" are worth careful investigation, but STUDY OF MAN is perhaps the most revealing. This book is the central exposition of Steiner's rationale for Waldorf education; it consists of lectures Steiner delivered to the faculty of the first Waldorf school, defining the purpose and approach of Waldorf education. Authorities as the Anthroposophical headquarters have reaffirmed the central importance of this book:
"The basis of Waldorf education is a study of the human being and developmental psychology presented by Rudolf Steiner (1861 – 1925) in his volume of lectures entitled A GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE HUMAN BEING or STUDY OF MAN." — Pedagogik-Goetheanum, 2009.
What will you find if you study Steiner's STUDY OF MAN? Statements such as this:
“The task of education conceived in a spiritual sense is to bring the Soul-Spirit into harmony with the Life-Body [sic: emphasis by Steiner]. They must come into harmony with one another. They must be attuned to one another; for when the child is born into the physical world, they do not yet fit one another. The task of the educator...is the mutual attunement of these two members." — Rudolf Steiner, STUDY OF MAN (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2007), pp. 19-20.
You might think that the task of a school is to educate children, providing them with knowledge. But this is not the primary goal that Waldorf faculties aim for. As explained by Rudolf Steiner in this, his most important exposition of Waldorf schooling, the key task of Waldorf education is to help children to incarnate properly — that is, help the children to achieve a proper fit between the various components of their beings. Anthroposophists believe that humans have both souls and spirits; the "soul-spirit" or "spirit-soul" is the combination of these invisible components. Waldorf teachers think their job is to "harmonize" their students' soul-spirits with their etheric bodies (also called life bodies or temporal bodies: these are the lowest of three invisible bodies that incarnate during childhood, according to Steiner). Ultimately, all of a child's invisible components (soul, spirit, etheric body, astral body, and ego body) need to be harmonized with her/his physical body; thus is successful incarnation achieved.
STUDY OF MAN continues in this occult vein for nearly 200 pages — the book contains 14 occult lectures. No one reading the book can have any doubt about the real nature of Waldorf schooling. Waldorf is an enactment of the occult doctrines of Anthroposophy. It was this when Steiner concocted Waldorf education decades ago in Germany, and it remains this in all genuine Waldorf schools today.
[To delve deeply into STUDY OF MAN, see "Oh Humanity", which provides a guided tour of the entire book.]
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Addendum
As we have seen, Steiner said that the purpose of Waldorf schooling "conceived in a spiritual sense" is to help kids with their incarnation on Earth. Does this mean that the purpose of Waldorf schooling conceived in an educational sense might be to give kids a good, solid academic education? No. Academics are generally low on the list of Waldorf priorities; Waldorf schools often have low academic standards. [See "Academic Standards at Waldorf".] As a leading Anthroposophist has explained,
“The success of Waldorf Education...can be measured in the life force attained. Not acquisition of knowledge and qualifications, but the life force is the ultimate goal of this school.” — Peter Selg, THE ESSENCE OF WALDORF EDUCATION (SteinerBooks, 2010)‚ p. 30.
Attaining "life force" is, from an Anthroposophical perspective, essentially the same as incarnating properly, so that your bodies (physical, etheric, astral, and ego) are filled with the right spiritual/physical energies.
No, the purpose of Waldorf schooling is primarily spiritual, not academic. Waldorf schools are really, beneath the surface, Anthroposophical churches. [See "Schools as Churches".] You might like the idea of sending your child to a school that is primarily spiritual. But you should understand that the religion enacted in Waldorf schools is Anthroposophy. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] Unless you can accept the occult doctrines of Anthroposophy, the spiritual nature of Waldorf schooling will ultimately be alien — and quite likely unacceptable — to you.
— R.R.
October 5, 2017
From Scroll.in:
Raising children in a screen-free home is tough –
but recently, I discovered the perfect compromise
...I decided to keep my home media-free because the advertisements both on television and the internet are not really appropriate, not to mention misleading. Unsupervised time on either medium is dangerous, and I don’t want [my children] to become video game addicts at least until they are teenagers.
This is why we don’t have a television set. We don’t watch YouTube or Netflix (well, not until the kids are asleep and I open it up like some guilty pleasure.) I chose the Waldorf education system for my eight and nine-year olds for its keen no-electronic-media philosophy.
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Waldorf Watch Response:
Before choosing Waldorf education "for its keen no-electronic-media philosophy," you should understand the thinking behind that philosophy.
Sensible arguments can be made for limiting the amount of time children spend staring into electronic screens, but the Waldorf argument is mystical rather than sensible. The fundamental Waldorf objection to technological devices is a fear of demons. Rudolf Steiner taught, and his followers believe, that technology provides the means for demons to incarnate on Earth.
Let's take this a step at a time. According to Steiner, even technological devices as basic as steam engines bring demons to the Earth:
"When we build steam-engines, we provide the opportunity for the incarnation of demons ... In the steam-engine, Ahrimanic demons [i.e., the demon Ahriman and his minions] are actually brought to the point of physical embodiment.” — Rudolf Steiner, “The Relation of Man to the Hierarchies” (ANTHROPOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT, Vol. V, Nos. 14-15, 1928).
What is true of steam engines is even more true of electronic gadgets, according to Anthroposophical teachings:
“[W]hat has been said here about the steam engine applies in a much greater degree to the technology of our time...television, for example. The result is that the demon magic spoken of by Rudolf Steiner is spreading more and more intensively on all sides ... [O]pportunities for a virtual incarnation of...demons are constantly on the increase." — Anthroposophist Georg Unger, "On 'Mechanical Occultism'" (MITTEILUNGEN AUS DER ANTHROPOSOPHISCHEN ARBEIT IN DEUTSCHLAND {i.e., Announcements Concerning Anthroposophical Work in Germany}, nos. 68–69, 1964).
Fear of demons causes Waldorf schools to implement a keen no-electronic-media philosophy. Usually, however, the schools describe their views in calmer terms. Thus, for instance:
"Why do we choose to protect our children from exposure to TV, videos, movies, computer games, gameboys, and other media? ... The Waldorf School is designed to nourish the feeling life of children and to strengthen the imagination ... Students accustomed to passively receiving impressions have difficulty making the inner effort necessary to sustain imaginative thought ... Parents are especially asked to refrain, throughout the years at Summerfield (even in HIGH SCHOOL!), from any media exposure on a school night ... We encourage parents to....create a media-free lifestyle." — Summerfield Waldorf School, downloaded May 13, 2015.
Waldorf PR can be persuasive, but don't be taken in. You may want to have a "media-free lifestyle" in your home. You may have perfectly rational reasons for this. But don't be hoodwinked into thinking that Waldorf schools share your rational reasons. The Waldorf reasons are mystical and superstitious. Steam engines let demons incarnate on Earth. So do televisions. So do computers. Indeed, all electric gizmos should be feared. Electricity itself is demonic:
"[E]lectric atoms are little demons of Evil." — Rudolf Steiner, "Concerning Electricity" (General Anthroposophical Society, 1940), GA 220.
Steiner's followers have heeded him on this matter:
“The exploitation of electric forces — for example in information and computing technologies — spreads evil over the Earth in an immense spider's web. And fallen spirits of darkness [i.e., demons]...are active in this web.” — Anthroposophist Richard Seddon, THE END OF THE MILLENNIUM AND BEYOND (Temple Lodge Publishing, 1996), p. 24.
You should send your child to a Waldorf school only if you understand, and agree with, the mystical, superstitious, demon-haunted thinking that Waldorf schools embody.
— R.R.
October 3, 2017
From the Bristol Herald Courier [Virginia, USA]:
Wolf Hills Community School
‘LOVE FOR LEARNING’
Abingdon school offers an alternative teaching style for students
ABINGDON, Va. — Tucked away inside the William King Museum of Art is a school where 12 children hang up their backpacks and jackets, draw pictures or write their thoughts for the day on a dry erase board and remove their shoes.
“As they take off their shoes, they are settling in, settling in for the morning,” said Lori Pennington, the program director and a teacher whose 6-year-old son, Asa, attends the school.
Wolf Hills Community School is a one-classroom learning institution that teaches in a different style than traditional public schools.
“We are a progressive education school, a project-based school,” said Victoria Blevins, director of administration.
...Her children come from a Waldorf school background, having gone to one in the New England area prior to moving to Southwest Virginia. Waldorf education has its foundations in anthroposophy, “the belief that humanity has the wisdom to transform itself and the world, through one’s own spiritual development,” according to the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. It was established by Rudolf Steiner and Emil Molt in 1919.
The goal of the approach is to design a curriculum deemed “developmentally appropriate to the child,” that addresses the child’s need to learn in a tactile and intellectual way, according to the association.
This philosophy is different and beneficial, Blevins said.
[downloaded 10-3-2017 http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/abingdon-school-offers-an-alternative-teaching-style-for-students/article_a664d398-f452-5847-bf73-024ef69f52d8.html]
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Waldorf Watch Response:
The Waldorf approach can seem sensible and attractive — until you look under the hood.
The thinking on which Waldorf is based, Anthroposophy, is not a "philosophy." In fact, it is an occult religion. [See "Occultism" and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] Waldorf beliefs are mystical and — from most people's perspective — bizarre.
The developmental stages of childhood, according to Waldorf belief, are bound up with the incarnation of a child's four bodies. Yes, you read that right. Waldorf believes that children are born four times: once when the physical body is born; a second time when the invisible "etheric body" is incarnated at age seven; a third time when the invisible "astral body" is incarnated at age 14; and a fourth time when the invisible "ego body" is incarnated at age 21 — the end of childhood. [See "Incarnation".]
Moreover, according to Waldorf belief, children repeat in their own lives the cultural/spiritual evolution of humanity. The Waldorf curriculum is intended to present each subject (math, history, etc.) at the "proper" stage of childhood development. Thus, for instance, Waldorf fifth graders often study ancient Greek myths, since fifth graders are thought to be recapitulating the evolutionary experience of the ancient Greeks. Likewise, astronomy classes for sixth graders are often limited to the astronomical knowledge available to the ancient Romans, since sixth graders are thought to stand at the evolutionary level of those long-ago Romans. [See "The Waldorf Curriculum" and, e.g., "Oh My Stars".]
“The child recapitulates the cultural epochs of humankind.” — Waldorf teacher Peter Curran, quoted in WHAT IS WALDORF EDUCATION?, a collection of essays by Rudolf Steiner (Anthroposophic Press, 2003), pp. 21-22.
For Anthroposophists, “cultural epochs” or “ages” are long stretches of time in mankind’s spiritual evolution. They are dated from the sinking of Atlantis. Yes, Atlantis — Anthroposophists believe in such things as Atlantis. [See "Atlantis and the Aryans.]
Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, taught that humans evolve upward by progressing through a series of racial stages, starting with dark-complected racial forms and moving toward light-complected racial forms. This is central to how humanity "transforms itself through spiritual development." [See "Steiner's Racism" and "Forbidden".]
"The evolution of man through the incarnations in ever higher national and racial forms is thus a process of liberation [leading to] an ideal future.” — Rudolf Steiner, KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT (Anthroposophic Press, 1944), p. 149.
Not all Waldorf teachers subscribe to all of these beliefs; not all Waldorf teachers even know about all of these beliefs. But beliefs of this sort lurk in the ideology that gave rise to Waldorf education and that still dominates the Waldorf belief system today. [See, e.g., "Today" and "Teacher Training".]
Schools that are not officially part of the Waldorf educational network may be largely free of the worst aspects of Waldorf belief. But parents considering such schools for their kids would be well advised to investigate.
The Waldorf approach can seem sensible and attractive — until you look under the hood.
— R.R.
September 16, 2017
PTLEADER [Washington State, USA]
Healing land, healing humans
Biodynamic farm grows in nature’s rhythm
[by] Katie Kowalski, arts@ptleader.com
“This place is entrusted to us – to make it the most healthy and vital piece of land is really important.”
Beth Ann O’Dell, a teacher and farm administrator at Sunfield Land for Learning, said the farm on which its K-8 Waldorf school thrives is now a key focus for the nonprofit education center in Port Hadlock.
“Our school is already doing really well,” O’Dell said of the Waldorf school. “The farm is ready for the next phase of its development.”
The 81-acre farm, which is to be featured on the 2017 Jefferson County Farm Tour and has been certified organic since 2012, reached a milestone in January of this year when it officially received its biodynamic certification.
The objective of biodynamic farming is to treat the land as a self-nourishing living organism, O’Dell said.
The philosophy behind the method was developed by Waldorf education founder Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. O’Dell said that Steiner, who was one of the forerunners of organic farming, envisioned biodynamic farming as a way to bring back health and vitality to a land wrecked with the chemicals that were introduced at the turn of the century.
“It’s really to heal the earth,” O’Dell said of the principles behind biodynamic farming, and by extension, “to heal the human being” ....
[9-13-2017 (downloaded 9-16) http://www.ptleader.com/news/healing-land-healing-humans/article_06d687f8-9812-11e7-b22f-c709bcb28af0.html]
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Waldorf Watch Response:
This is the sort of wide-eyed coverage Waldorf schools and biodynamic farms often receive from small local newspapers and other media. A Waldorf school "thrives" on a large, "self-nourishing living" farm. The picture drawn is delightful.
But when reporters dig a little deeper into Waldorf matters, the picture can change.
Waldorf schools often have biodynamic gardens on their campuses, and students are often requited to work in these gardens. Having an entire biodynamic farm associated with a Waldorf school takes everything to a higher level, and a reporter may be forgiven for being impressed. Biodynamic agriculture is, arguably, one of Rudolf Steiner's more productive initiatives. But when we look more closely, we discover that it is extremely strange. Fundamentally, biodynamics is organic agriculture combined with magic and astrology. [See "Biodynamics".] Recognizing the mystical and occult underpinnings of biodynamics changes the picture.
Recognizing Rudolf Steiner's real attitude toward nature can also change the picture. Steiner — who claimed to be clairvoyant — taught that nature is a realm of invisible, amoral beings such as gnomes or goblins. [See "Neutered Nature" and "Gnomes".] So, once again, what had seemed so charming takes on a different appearance — mystical and occult — when we look more closely.
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Healing the Earth and healing human beings are certainly noble goals. Whether Steiner equipped his followers to undertake these tasks is, however, doubtful. Steiner's followers consider themselves to be on a messianic mission to remake virtually all human institutions in accordance with mystical and occult Anthroposophical teachings. They believe that they work in cooperation with numerous beneficent gods, and they struggle to overcome the foul designs of numerous demons. [See "Threefolding", "Polytheism", and "Evil Ones".]
Waldorf education is the foremost branch of the revolutionary — mystical, occult — Anthroposophical movement. [See "Here's the Answer".] Seeing Waldorf in this context changes the picture.
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How well the Sunfield Waldorf School is doing ("Our school is already doing really well") may also be open to question. The school is fairly new and evidently quite small. According to one report, the school recently had 95 students, including 8 in the preschool program. The bulk of the student body (32) was in the Kindergarten. The largest class after that was fifth grade, with 15 students. Sixth grade had 3 students, seventh grade 1 student, and eighth grade 2 students. [http://preschools.startclass.com/l/314254/Sunfield-Farm-And-Waldorf-School] The school itself reports "Today there are over one-hundred children enrolled in our school." [http://sunfieldfarm.org/about/our-history/]
— R.R.
August 9, 2017
Vaccination clinic offer ignored after measles scare at Perth Waldorf School
By Rebecca Trigger
Updated 9 Aug 2017, 4:16am
Wed 9 Aug 2017, 4:16am
An alternative private school where a number of unvaccinated children may have been exposed to measles has not responded to the WA Government's offer of a mobile clinic to immunise vulnerable students.
It has also emerged the institution's administrator previously ran for Parliament on a platform opposing a no-jab, no-play government health campaign restricting childcare placements for unvaccinated children.
…It has been reported up to half of the school's 400 students could be unvaccinated, but the school has not released details.
[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-09/measles-scare-perth-waldorf-school-snub-vaccine-clinic/8789550]
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Waldorf Watch Response:
The following is from the old Waldorf Watch “news” page, responding to a previous measles breakout at an Australian Steiner school:
Waldorf or Steiner schools usually do not formally discourage childhood vaccination, but they generally oppose it at least informally, and they often attract families who oppose it. According to Rudolf Steiner, preventing illnesses can be a mistake, since a child's karma may require her to suffer certain illnesses. Steiner also taught that black magicians will create vaccines that destroy human spirituality. Because of such beliefs, Waldorf schools are often focal points for dangerous, preventable childhood diseases.
Steiner on the karmic need for diseases, even fatal ones:
“[P]eople may virtually be driven to places where it is possible to get an infection in order to find in this the compensating effects for certain karmic causes within them; people are even driven to what one might call fatal life events to find such compensation.” — Rudolf Steiner, MANIFESTATIONS OF KARMA (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995), p. 167.
Steiner on the conspiracy to create spirit-destroying vaccines:
"[C]ertain inoculations will be used to influence the human body in such a way that it provides no place for the spiritual proclivities of the soul. Human beings will be immunised against any predisposition for spiritual ideas ... [Evildoers] will try by inoculation to bring it about that even in childhood, human beings lose the urge towards the spiritual life." — Rudolf Steiner, BEHIND THE SCENES OF EXTERNAL HAPPENINGS (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., 1947), lecture 1, GA 178.
[8-9-2017 (downloaded 9-5-2017) https://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatchannex/november-2011]
— R.R.