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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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December, 2018

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This site supplements Waldorf Watch.

To go to Waldorf Watch itself, please click here:

Waldorf Watch.

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The news items below are presented in reverse chronological order — newest first, oldest last.

Please excuse a certain amount of repetition in the contents of this archive. Items that now appear close together on the screen may have originally been separated by intervals of several days.

Many of the items in this archive generalize about Waldorf schools, describing them as Rudolf Steiner and leading Waldorf representatives have said they should be and as evidence shows they often are today. Not all Waldorf schools, Waldorf charter schools, and Waldorf-inspired schools conform to this model precisely. 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

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December 31, 2018

INDOCTRINATION 

ON THE ROAD 

Former Waldorf student and teacher Grégoire Perra has posted an account of class trips arranged by Waldorf schools. As usual, Perra’s status as a former Waldorf insider enables him to provide telling insights. Quoting from a new Perra essay is a fitting conclusion for our news coverage of the year 2018.

Here is the beginning of Perra’s essay "Le voyage de classe dans les écoles Steiner-Waldorf : un moment propice à l’endoctrinement des élèves" {The class trip of Steiner-Waldorf schools: a good time to indoctrinate students} at his website La Vérité sur les écoles Steiner-Waldorf {The Truth about Steiner-Waldorf Schools}:

The class trip of Steiner-Waldorf schools:

a good time to indoctrinate students

The Anthroposophical indoctrination of Steiner-Waldorf students is a constant, insidious, and permanent practice. Students of all ages are involved. There are many methods. But some occasions are more favorable than others. Thus, for instance, consider class trips and internships.

Indeed, many class trips are taken by teachers and students of Steiner-Waldorf schools. There is at least one per year. At first glance, parents might think this is an interesting educational opportunity for their children, a way to give them fresh experiences, to remove them from their usual educational framework so they can learn differently, etc. This is how, during parent-teacher meetings, Steiner-Waldorf teachers explain the reasons for these many trips.

In fact, in my opinion, class trips by Steiner-Waldorf schools are mainly used to create moments that are particularly conducive to the Anthroposophical indoctrination of the students. Indeed, when I was a student in a Steiner school myself, I remember that it was through the agricultural internship organized in the 10th class (second year of high school) that I was converted (consciously) to biodynamics [1] and the Anthroposophy behind it — that is, the esoteric and delirious mystical doctrine in which Anthroposophists believe [2]. Thus, we were introduced to the famous Anthroposophist and founder of biodynamics in France, Claude Monziès, who gave us Anthroposophical lectures in the evenings.... [3]

Why do Anthroposophical teachers arrange such trips? In my opinion, these teachers fully understand that school trips are opportunities for the indoctrination of students, as the students are then cut off from their parents and their usual surroundings, which makes them less secure and therefore more receptive. In addition, it is also a special opportunity to introduce them to leading figures within the Anthroposophical movement, who will not, however, be identified as such, but who will be introduced as specialists in this or that field. Claude Monziès had thus been presented to us as a specialist in agricultural matters.… [4]

[12/31/2018   https://veritesteiner.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/le-voyage-de-classe-dans-les-ecoles-steiner-waldorf-un-moment-propice-a-lendoctrinement-des-eleves/    This article was originally posted on December 19. I translated the paragraphs above by relying heavily on www.DeepL.com/Translator.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

I encourage everyone who is fluent in French to read the remainder of Perra’s essay (and his many other essays on Waldorf education).

If, like me, you are not fluent in French, you can use free online translation services offered by DeepL, Google, Microsoft, and perhaps others. The resulting translations will be rough, to one degree or another, but they should give you at least a general sense of Perra’s meaning.

[1] Biodynamics is the form of organic agriculture developed by Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner. [See “Biodynamics”.]

[2] The “doctrine” is Anthroposophy: the spiritual belief system (in a word, the religion) propounded by Rudolf Steiner. Waldorf education is built upon Anthroposophy. [See “Here’s the Answer”.]

Waldorf teachers almost always deny that they teach Anthroposophy to their students [see “We Don’t Teach It” in “Waldorf’s Spiritual Agenda”], but in fact they do teach it. For the most part, they do this subtly and indirectly. But they do it. [See “Sneaking It In” and “Indoctrination”.]

[3] "En France, le mouvement se développe sous l'impulsion de Claude Monziès, Xavier Florin, François Bouchet, Nicolas Joly, Pierre Masson ou encore Jacques Mell. L'Association française de culture biodynamique est créée en 1958, le Syndicat d'agriculture biodynamique en 1973 et le Mouvement de Culture Biodynamique en 1975." {In France, the biodynamic movement developed under the impetus of Claude Monziès, Xavier Florin, François Bouchet, Nicolas Joly, Pierre Masson and Jacques Mell. The French Association of Biodynamic Cultivation was created in 1958, the Biodynamic Agriculture Union in 1973 and the Biodynamic Culture Movement in 1975.} — Agriculture biodynamique [https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_biodynamique].

[4] Waldorf schools often tend to be deceitful in their dealings with outsiders, students’ parents, and students. [See, e.g., “Our Experience” and “Secrets”.]

— R.R.

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December 29, 2018

SWEET SMILES 

AND OCCULT BELIEFS  

Waldorf schools generally present sweet, smiling faces to the world. This is easy for them, since Waldorf schools are often quite lovely, and they often stage events that seem beguilingly sweet.

Here are excerpts from an uncritical end-of-year assessment of events during 2018 at an American Waldorf school. It is from The Newtown Bee [Connecticut, USA]:

Year In Review: Student Accomplishments 

And More At Newtown’s Private Schools

...Housatonic Valley Waldorf School

Throughout 2018, Housatonic Valley Waldorf School hosted events for the community, like sample classes and the first puppet show of the year, held on January 27….

Sunshine, flowers, and smiles were plentiful at the school’s annual May Fair on May 4….

The school’s annual Rose Ceremony was held on September 5….

Just a few weeks later, the school’s annual Michaelmas festival was held….

The school hosted its annual Holiday Market on December 7 and 8, when a host of vendors filled the space with handcrafted items, food, and more….

[12/29/2018    https://www.newtownbee.com/year-review-student-accomplishments-and-more-newtown’s-private-schools/12282018    This article originally appeared on December 28.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

When events staged at Waldorf schools are open to the public, these events are often, at least in part, recruitment efforts designed to lure new families into the Waldorf fold. And, in many cases, there is also often a fund-raising component.

But below the surface, other objectives are often at play. Waldorf schools almost always deny that they are religious institutions, yet Waldorf events are often subtly — or not so subtly — religious. And the religion involved is Anthroposophy. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

Consider Michaelmas, for instance. This is an overtly religious holiday that is celebrated at Waldorf schools worldwide. Michaelmas is the mass or celebration of Saint Michael — who, in Anthroposophical belief, is the Archangel of the Sun, the warrior-god who fights on behalf of the Sun God. [See “Michael” and “Michaelmas”.]

Anthroposophy teaches that Michael is an extremely important deity. In particular, Michael has great importance for Waldorf teachers. Thus, for instance, we find the following in an influential text written for Waldorf teachers:

“Each of us [Waldorf teachers] is centrally involved in the Michaelic battle against the forces of darkness for the sake of the children and youngsters in our care.” — Waldorf teacher-trainer René M. Querido, THE ESOTERIC BACKGROUND OF WALDORF EDUCATION, p. 13.

The “Michaelic battle” is the struggle waged by Michael and his hosts against the battalions of the arch-demon Ahriman — “the forces of darkness”. [See “Ahriman”.] In a manner of speaking, supporting Michael in his battle is the underlying purpose of the Waldorf movement — it is the reason Waldorf schools exist. This is almost never explained to outsiders, however.

Or consider the Waldorf “May Fair,” which is often called the “Spring festival.” At root, this is a pagan observance celebrating the return of the Sun after the long, cold winter. In Anthroposophy, the god of the Sun is the spirit whom Christians call Christ. [See "Sun God".] The May Fair is just one of a cycle of festivals celebrated in Waldorf schools to mark the progression of the Sun and the “breathing” of the Earth. All of these festivals have underlying spiritual or religious intent:

“These festivals…reflect cyclical spiritual events that take place in the breathing process of the earth … Celebrating the festivals enables human beings to get in touch with both nature [i.e., the earthly realm] and spirit [i.e., the spiritual realm].” — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 45.

Even the lovely Rose Ceremony conducted in Waldorf schools is, at root, religious. In this ceremony, older students (often eighth graders or twelfth graders) hand roses to the school’s incoming first graders. Roses have great spiritual significance in Anthroposophy. Rudolf Steiner taught that Rosicrucianism (an occult spiritual movement) is the correct spiritual path for modern humans. He meant Rosicrucianism as redefined by himself, which essentially means Anthroposophy. The word “Rosicrucian” combines a reference to roses (rosi-) and a reference to the cross (crucian). The symbol of Rosicrucianism is a red rose situated at the center of a black cross, or, alternately, a circle of seven red roses at the center of a black cross. [See “Rosy Cross”.] Steiner said the rose-bedecked cross represents the passing away of the inferior parts of human nature and the birth (or rebirth) of our higher, spiritual parts. Accordingly, he said, roses can be taken as representations of spirituality or eternity triumphing over physicality or temporality:

"The Rose Cross...is a symbol of the death of the lower nature and the resurrection of the higher ... [On a Christmas tree] roses, growing out of the green, are a symbol of the victory of eternity over time." — Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 41.

When the religious nature of Waldorf education occasionally becomes evident to outsiders, an understandable confusion can arise. Because of the emphasis Steiner placed on Christ, Anthroposophy may seem to be a Christian denomination. But in fact, there is a wide gulf between Anthroposophy and Christianity. Very few Christians would agree, for instance, that Christ is actually the Sun God. Yet this is a fundamental Anthroposophical "truth":

“The rituals through which one can contact gods and goddesses of old offer a deep sense of satisfaction. However, times have changed, spiritual beings [e.g., gods] evolve also and are known by other names. Christ, the Sun God, who was known by earlier peoples under such names as Ahura Mazda, Hu or Balder, has now united himself with the earth and its future evolution.” — Anthroposophist Margaret Jonas, Introduction to RUDOLF STEINER SPEAKS TO THE BRITISH (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), p. 5.

Note that Anthroposophy, unlike Christianity, is polytheistic. [See "Polytheism".]

Few esoteric Anthroposophical beliefs will be expressed openly at a typical Waldorf ceremony or festival, especially when these events are open to the public. Anthroposophy and the Waldorf movement are secretive. [See "Secrets".] But esoteric Anthroposophical beliefs lie below the surface of most Waldorf events, and they provide the inner impetus for these events.

— R.R.

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.December 28, 2018

WALDORF, TECHNOLOGY, 

AND AHRIMAN (AGAIN) 

Waldorf schools have received some valuable, positive publicity because of their low-tech educational approach. There have even been glowing articles about a certain Waldorf school in California where, reportedly, high executives of high-tech companies send their children.

It is true that Waldorf schools generally oppose the use of technological devices (TVs, computers, etc.) within their walls, and many of them ask students' parents to tightly restrict use of such gadgets in the home. But reports that lots of tech execs want screen-free, Waldorf-style schooling for their kids are far less true.

Here is an item from The Washington Post [District of Columbia, USA]: 

How much screen time?

Silicon Valley parents

are still trying to figure it out.

By Ana Homayoun

...[I]t’s a fallacy that most parents working in technology want their kids to live completely screen-free lives....

“There’s no way you can just say no to screens. It’s not possible,” says [former Google manager Mike] Popek. “[Children will] be at a huge disadvantage in their lives if they have no experience with this type of technology.” Some area parents [i.e., parents living in Silicon Valley, California] may disagree with him, such as those whose children attend the Waldorf School of the Peninsula, which is often cited as the screen-free zone where technology executives send their kids. The Waldorf community is tiny, though, serving fewer than 400 kids in an area with more than 15,000 students. And even Waldorf uses computers as teaching tools in high school classrooms.

[12/28/2018    https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2018/12/27/how-much-screentime-debate-all-parents-are-just-trying-figure-it-out/?utm_term=.f4bc2d490cc4    This item originally appeared on December 27.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

It is evidently true that some tech execs send their kids to the Waldorf School of the Peninsula. But it is also true that the vast majority of tech execs do not. Indeed, the vast majority of tech execs do not send their kids to any Waldorf school anywhere. Only a small subset do.

And we should try to understand the reason Waldorf schools are so wary of up-to-date technology. (If tech execs knew the reason, it is doubtful that any of them would choose Waldorf education for their kids.)

In a word, Waldorf teachers worry about high-tech gizmos because they fear demons. (Not all Waldorf teachers have this fear, of course. But those who believe the teachings of Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner certainly do have this fear. Steiner told them to have it.)

We have discussed this issue here previously. [See, e.g., "Nature, Technology, Ahriman, and Waldorf" — June 28, 2018, and "Screens Everywhere: How to Cope", September 6, 2018.] We need not repeat now what we've said before. But we might add a new wrinkle or two by quoting from an Anthroposophical website that is up and running today. (The fact that some Anthroposophists, like some Waldorf schools, use computers and host websites is, in itself, interesting.)

The following can be found posted at a site, neoanthroposophy.com, run by a pair of Steiner's admirers: 

Why do Spiritual Scientists

[e.g., Anthroposophists]

Have Such a Difficult Time

Accepting New Technologies?

Have you ever wondered why “spiritual” people are leery of technology and eschew any human advancement that has a semblance of high-tech? They categorically deride technology on one hand, yet in the other, they are texting on their smart phones or using social media as a platform for global conversations with others of the same persuasion....

...Part of [their] fear arises due to the Steiner prediction that the king of materialism, Ahriman [a mighty demon], will incarnate in a physical body in North America at about this time in a counterpoint to the incarnation of Lucifer [another mighty demon] who incarnated in a physical body in China two thousand years before the incarnation of Christ [the Sun God] in Jesus of Nazareth.

...Ahriman wishes to enslave humans to machines and turn the heart to cold stone and thoughts into grey spider webs of selfish delusion. Ahriman wants to wed humans to machines through cyborg technology that promises to make a better human being who can live eternally in the physical plane. He hopes to be one of the first humans to connect directly to the spider web of electromagneticism that provides the seeming power of omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence.

Ahriman wants to be the technology king of this world and drive out the living forces of light from the sun [the home of the Sun God]. Each Ahrimanic demon box [i.e., each computer, etc.] has some part of the sun in it because it has light, color, and living forms; but so do humans. Human thought is sunlight recycled. Lucifer, the light bringer, works with Ahriman, the lord of technology, to devise new devices to “capture” human light through many demonic black boxes. Humans don’t even know how the boxes work, but they worship them with their attention day and night....

[12/28/2018    https://neoanthroposophy.com/2017/02/07/why-do-spiritual-scientists-have-such-a-difficult-time-accepting-new-technologies/    This piece originally appeared on February 7, 2017.]

Neoanthroposophy.com is the work of Tyla and Douglas Gabriel. Tyla Gabriel is a "certified naturopath" who has pursued "life-long studies in religion, mythology and philosophy, eventually leading her to the path of Anthroposophy." Douglas Gabriel is a former Waldorf teacher and headmaster, among many other things. He "helped found the first Waldorf School in the Detroit Public School system and the first charter Waldorf school in Michigan." [See http://www.ourspirit.com/the-gabriels.]

Anthroposophists' fear of Ahriman may be excessive. It may be silly. But, unlike Ahriman himself, it is real.

— R.R.

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December 27, 2018

UNDER THE BIG TOP 

AT WALDORF 

From the Union Leader [New Hampshire, USA]:

[Union Leader]

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Starburst: A Family-Friendly 

Circus Extravaganza!

The Flying Gravity Circus is proud to welcome back several of its members and friends who have gone on to professional circus arts careers for a one-night, family-friendly spectacle with world-class juggling, aerials, acrobatics, and physical comedy. Starbust, A Family-Friendly Circus Extravaganza will take place at the Pine Hill Waldorf School in Wilton [New Hampshire] this weekend … Current Flying Gravity youth troupers will join the show’s finale in a grand display of human pyramids … Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children.

[12/27/2018    https://www.unionleader.com/nh/weekend_top_10/starburst-a-family-friendly-circus-extravaganza/article_10fe230a-09a7-11e9-8ca8-c389dca1ed61.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Odd though it may seem, many Waldorf schools stage circus performances of various sorts, and some of these schools teach “circus arts” to their students. The Flying Gravity Circus grew out of the circus arts programs at Pine Hill Waldorf School. [See https://www.flyinggravitycircus.org/history.]

What is going on? What is the connection between Waldorf and the big top?

At one level, teaching circus arts is an extension of the Waldorf belief that education should include large elements of play. [1] Consistent with this, particular emphasis is sometimes put on teaching kids clowning. [2] Other considerations are also involved. Waldorf schools generally attempt to educate the "whole child." [3] Circus arts such as tumbling, juggling, and so forth, contribute to the training of the physical body (PE, physical education). Importantly, they do so without involving athletic competition, which Rudolf Steiner sometimes deplored. [4]

Spiritual issues are also involved, of course. Almost everything that occurs at Waldorf schools has, ultimately, spiritual (Anthroposophical) purposes. Elements of magic and miracle pervade good circus performances. These elements are congenial to the mystical Waldorf belief system. [5] Then, too, some characters represented in circuses — especially clowns — often seem otherworldly, which accords with Waldorf beliefs affirming the real existence of fabulous beings such as fairies and gnomes. [6] Waldorf circuses may, then, link into age-old traditions concerning the identities and powers of such figures as clowns. The following is from an Anthroposophical reference work: 

"Clown. The buffoon-jester is only one type of clown. Far older historically, more widespread, and of greater significance is the clown-magician with cosmic powers who acted as an intercessor between his people and the gods — also, the souls of the dead." — George Riland, THE NEW STEINERBOOKS DICTIONARY OF THE PARANORMAL (Rudolf Steiner Publications, 1980), p. 53.

Somewhat like the gnome dolls and figurines that are often found in Waldorf schools [7], the presence of clowns may accustom young children to the possibility that mystical entities (in whom Anthroposophists believe) may be real. For Waldorf students, the difference between reality and the magical/mysterious may weaken, then, or even break down altogether. [8] No one believes in the "real" existence of clowns, presumably, but Waldorf education is certainly meant to lead kids toward belief in other sorts of otherworldly presences.

At a minimum, devoting time to circus arts suits the anti-intellectual bias of Waldorf education. Time spent playing, and clowning, and tumbling, and juggling — this is time not devoted to the dull, brain-centered stuff that is central to other types of education. [9]

And, bringing all this back down to mundane considerations: Waldorf circus performances are sometimes in-house events, attended only by students and staff. But sometimes they are open to the public. This turns these performances into public relations exercises, putting a happy face on Waldorf education. It is a brilliant disguise. [10] 

[For more on circuses and Waldorf, see "March, 2013".]

[1] See the entry in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE) for "play at Waldorf schools".

[2] See the entry in BWSE for "clowns, clowning". 

[3] See "Holistic Education".

[4] "Sports are practical Darwinism, and that means setting up the goal of degenerating people back into animals." — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE — Foundations of Waldorf Education (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 201. Despite this, Waldorf schools sometimes field teams to compete with other schools in sports such as basketball and soccer. Also, the schools often stage their own "Olympics." [See the entry in BWSE for "Olympics".]

[5] See, e.g., "Magic".

[6] See, e.g., "Beings".

[7] See "Gnomes".

[8] See "Who Gets Hurt".

[9] See "Steiner's Specific" and "Academic Standards at Waldorf". Time spent on physical education may usually be time well spent. But in Waldorf schools, enormous effort, energy, and time often go to the preparation of festivals and other special events and performances, including circuses. Much of the time spent on these things is subtracted from time that could have gone to academic instruction. [See, e.g., the section "The Schools' Celebrations", in "My Life Among the Anthroposophists".]

[10] Waldorf schools often make considerable public relations efforts, seeking to attract new families and financial support. [See "PR".]

— R.R.

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December 26, 2018

ROBOTS, DEMONS, 

AND STEINER 

From an Anthroposophical organ, the Nexus News Agency [London, UK]:

Transhumanism – the end

of the human being?

By Mathias Maurer

An unusual conference took place at the Goetheanum [the Anthroposophical headquarters] in Dornach, Switzerland, from 7-9 September: a cultural conference on the subject of the transhumanist vision of the future….

Fuelled with billions from foundations, we are striding in huge steps towards the artificial human being. The year 2045 is the date when it is meant to happen that human being and machine become one….

…In the end the living human becomes superfluous, their humanity mechanised….

[12/26/2018   http://www.nna-news.org/news/article/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2734&cHash=d45ba1d65a73060b46260285bce8e1aa    This article originally appeared on December 23.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Many computer scientists are working to develop artificial intelligence systems — computerized systems that work "intelligently," using knowledge and reasoning to "think" creatively, like humans do or even better than humans do. Progress in the field has sometimes been impressive, as when a computer beat the world chess champion. But, generally, artificial intelligence systems today are primitive. Any “intelligence” they display is usually limited to strictly defined, specific fields (such as playing chess); their “intelligence” is not flexible enough to function in other areas. “Smart” machines, today, are generally still quite stupid. (If you receive a phone call from a computer, even a computer with a pleasing voice, you will almost always catch on immediately. Computers today are generally lousy at impersonating human beings.)

But A.I. progress will probably continue, so that before long computers may start to become “intelligent” is a broader, deeper sense. Some technologists look forward to the day when highly advanced computers, having access to all the knowledge contained on the Internet, and operating in accordance with extremely sophisticated programs, “wake up” — that is, the computers will become self-aware, conscious entities. They will become, in a manner of speaking, “persons” in their own right, able to think and act “freely,” much as we humans do. The line between machine and human will blur, then, and perhaps even be erased. It may become possible, for instance, for humans to plug their brains directly into computers, so that the “interface” between a human and a computer is automatic and complete. We and our computerized alter egos will then be "transhuman."

Some people yearn for that future; they look forward to it with great anticipation. Other people are horrified; they fear that future with outrage and revulsion.

Of course, that future may not arrive. Computers may never “wake up” — they may remain unconscious and, thus, essentially stupid. The difference between person and machine may never be abolished. Still, many people worry. And this certainly includes Rudolf Steiner’s followers.

Steiner often warned his followers against the possibility that humans may become so corrupted by life in the physical universe that they turn into “automata” or robots. Indeed, Steiner said that many people have already become automata. Specifically, he indicated that anyone who criticizes or rejects Anthroposophy is probably an automaton. And, on occasion, Steiner said that the very purpose of Anthroposophy is to rescue people from existing as mere automata. So, for instance, Steiner once said the following to the teachers at the first Waldorf school:

"The task of Anthroposophy is…to raise the spirit-soul [i.e., the combined human spirit and soul] into the realm of the spiritual, so that the human being is no longer a thinking and feeling automaton." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 115.

Steiner also warned that, in the future, hideous automata will threaten to overrun the Earth. He said that the Moon will one day reunite with the Earth, and when that happens, watch out! Here’s how one of Steiner’s apostles has described that future of horrors. (Somewhat confusingly, although he was writing about the future, he put everythng in the present tense.)

"When the moon does unite [with the Earth], all the thoughts of the shadowy intellect which at present have no reality at once become substantial realities. There springs forth a terrible brood of beings, automata lying between the mineral and plant kingdoms, possessed of an overwhelming power of intellect. This swarm spreads over the earth as a ghastly network of spiderlike creatures ... The reunion with the moon brings the culmination of evil on earth." — Richard Seddon, THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY AND THE EARTH AS FORETOLD BY RUDOLF STEINER (Temple Lodge Publishing, 2002), pp. 54-60.

(Some of Steiner’s followers believe that the “spiders” and the “network” foreseen by Steiner are already upon us in the form of the World Wide Web. However, Steiner and Seddon were describing a period in the far-distant future, running from 5733 CE to approximately 7900 CE.)

Underlying the Anthroposophical fear of automata is the general Anthroposphical fear of modern technology in virtually all its forms. Steiner followers generally believe that modern, electrically powered technological gadgets allow demons to incarnate upon the Earth.

"[T]elevision, for example. The result is that the demon magic spoken of by Rudolf Steiner is spreading more and more intensively on all sides ... It is very necessary that anyone who aspires towards the spiritual should realise clearly how the most varied opportunities for a virtual incarnation of elemental beings [e.g., goblins] and demons are constantly on the increase." — Georg Unger, "On 'Mechanical Occultism'" (Mitteilungen aus der Anthroposophischen Arbeit in Deutschland nos. 68–69, 1964).

It is for these reasons that Waldorf schools generally try to curtail, if not wholly forbid, the use of computers, televisions, smart phones, etc., by their students. [See, e.g., the entry for “media policies” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

Whether or not computers ever wake up, progress in artificial intelligence will probably continue. An article in today's New York Times tells of a game-playing system that "learns" and apparently "thinks" more fluently and creatively than any of its predecessors: "One Giant Step for a Chess-Playing Machine". But, then again, it is only able to play games. So far.

— R.R.

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December 24, 2018

A GOOD REPORT 

ON GOOD WORKS 

Two Steiner schools in the UK have been in the news recently because they have received extremely critical evaluations from UK education authorities. One of the schools has been ordered to close, and the other appears to be in great danger of receiving a closure order. [See “RSSKL” and “S. A. Exeter”.]

It is not impossible, however, for a Steiner school to receive a positive evaluation from inspectors. Steiner schools have received good inspection reports in the past, and today a special Steiner school is reported to have gotten such a report.

The following is from The Evening Express [Aberdeen, Scotland]:

Aberdeen school praised 

by inspectors

By Dale Haslam

A support service for young people has been praised by inspectors.

Monitors from the Care Inspectorate watchdog visited Camphill Rudolf Steiner School at Murtle Den House in Bieldside on October 17 and have now published their report.

The school supports children and young adults by providing care, education, life skills training and therapeutic programmes.

Inspectors rated it “very good” for care and support — the second-best of six possible ratings – and “good” for management and leadership — the third-best rating.…

[12/24/2018     https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/aberdeen-school-praised-by-inspectors/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

A few points may require clarification.

The Care Inspectorate does not evaluate schools for the quality of the education they provide. It is not, in fact, part of an educational authority. (In this sense, it differs markedly from the UK Office for Standards in Education, which has issued the blistering reports on the Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley — a school that is now closed — and the Steiner Academy Exeter — a school that appears likely to be closed.)

The Care Inspectorate is “the independent regulator of social care and social work services across Scotland.” The Inspectorate regulates over 15,000 institutions of various kinds, focusing on the care they provide to “vulnerable people” — that is, individuals who have special needs. [See https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Support-Social-Care/Care-Inspectorate.]

Congruous with the mission of the Care Inspectorate, Camphill Steiner schools are intended to serve individuals who have special needs or disabilities. (In this, they differ from regular Steiner schools, which are intended for students who do not require specialized social services.)

Camphill schools are generally found on campuses that include other Anthroposophical institutions, such as biodynamic farms and Anthroposophical residential communities.

“[T]he Camphill Movement…started in Scotland in 1939. In small communities, such as farms, people with developmental difficulties can work, learn and live together in a mutually supportive environment. Disabilities are not treated as illnesses, but as part of each individual’s spectrum of potential.” — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 111.

According to Anthroposophical belief, the abilities and disabilities people have during their lives on Earth result from their self-created karmas. For this reason, Rudolf Steiner's followers believe that, as a rule, personal qualities should not be tampered with — karma must be allowed to play out. [See “Karma”.] Thus, Camphill schools generally do not attempt to cure or rectify the psychological condition of their students. See, e.g., "Camphill Summer", written by a former Waldorf student who went on to become a Waldorf teacher:

"Within this Camphill, the leaders adopted a resolutely hostile attitude toward psychology and psychoanalysis, which they saw as incarnations of evil. 'There are no psychologists here!' the main leader proudly repeated, although many patients there had significant psychological disorders that should have received skilled care." — Grégoire Perra, "Camphill Summer", a section in "My Life Among the Anthroposophists".

Despite the mystical beliefs underlying the Camphill movement, the Care Inspectorate has given the Camphill school in Aberdeen a positive review. This may raise doubts about the depth and thoroughness of the inspection conducted by the Inspectorate. Steiner institutions are often impressive — indeed beautiful — when seen from the outside. [See, e.g., "Glory".] Penetrating to the arcane thinking that animates these institutions can require intensive investigation. Rudolf Steiner coached his followers on the need to deceive outsiders, including inspectors. [See "Secrets" and "Visits".]

— R.R.

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December 23, 2018

A WALDORF CHRISTMAS:

SYMBOLS

Christmas trees in Waldorf schools are often decorated in an uncommon fashion. The trees are frequently bedecked with roses, and there are often ornaments consisting of esoteric symbols.

Here are the symbols and the sequence in which they are often displayed (star at the top, square near the bottom, and so forth):

[THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING]

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We should turn to Steiner himself for an explication. (I will add a few footnotes.)

"The Roses, growing out of the green, are a symbol of the Eternal [1] ... The square is the symbol of the fourfold nature of man; physical body, ether-body, astral body and ego. [2] The triangle is the symbol for Spirit-Self, Life-Spirit, Spirit-Man. [3] Above the triangle is the symbol for Tarok. [4] Those who were initiated into the Egyptian Mysteries knew how to interpret this sign. They knew too, how to read the Book of Thoth [5], consisting of 78 leaves on which were inscribed all happenings in the world from the beginning to the end, from Alpha to Omega and which could be read if the signs were rightly put together [6] ... Above this symbol is the Tao — the sign that is a reminder of the conception of the Divine held by our early forefathers [7] … [T]hese early forefathers of ours lived on the continent of Atlantis [8] … Finally, the cosmic symbol of Man is the pentagram, hanging at the top of the tree. Of the deepest meaning of the pentagram we may not now speak. But it is the star of humanity, of evolving humanity; it is the star that all wise men follow, as did the Priest-Sages of old.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING, Vol. 1 (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1955), lecture 2, GA 96.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Throughout history, roses have been used as symbols for many things, ranging from chastity to sexual passion, and from death to life. Roses are the key symbol in Rosicrucianism, the occult path that Steiner said is correct for modern humans. What he meant was Rosicrucianism as reconceived by himself. What this meant, in effect, was Anthroposophy. [See “Rosy Cross”.] We will return to the subject of Rosicrucianism, below.

[2] In Waldorf belief, children gradually acquire four bodies, three of which are invisible. The physical body emerges at the moment of physical birth, the etheric body is born at or around age seven, the astral body is born around age 14, and the “I” or spiritual “ego” is born around age 21 (the end of childhood). The Waldorf curriculum is keyed to these stages of incarnation. [See “Incarnation”.] 

[3] These are three parts of human “spirit nature.” [See “What We’re Made Of”.]

[4] This ancient symbol resembles, to our eyes, a T with a P grafted onto its side. Various meanings have been imputed to this symbol. The tarok is often associated with the tarot, a 78-piece deck of cards used in fortune telling.

[5] “Thoth…in Egyptian religion, a god of the moon, of reckoning, of learning, and of writing. He was held to be the inventor of writing, the creator of languages, the scribe, interpreter, and adviser of the gods, and the representative of the sun god, Re." — "Thoth" THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA ONLINE. Note that, in Anthroposophy, the Sun God is Christ. [See “Sun God”.]

The "Book of Thoth" is a term given to numerous ancient Egyptian texts supposedly written by Thoth. 

[6] Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. They are often taken as representing the beginning and end of all things, or — taken together — as the summation of all things. In Christianity, Alpha and Omega represent the comprehensiveness of God. A similar understanding is found in Judaism. [See, e.g., the entry for "Alpha and Omega" in THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA ONLINE.] 

In the Waldorf Christmas arrangement discussed here, the symbols for Alpha and Omega flank the Tarok.

[7] In Chinese philosophy, the Tao (or Dao) is the ultimate principle that underlies all things. It contains and harmonizes opposites (Yin and Yang), and it indicates the correct code of conduct (living in harmony with the divine or natural order). [See, e.g., the entry for “Dao” in THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA ONLINE.]

[8] Stener taught that humans lived on Atlantis prior to our current epoch. [See “Atlantis and the Aryans”.]

[9] Although he professed to reveal the true occult meaning of many things, Steiner occasionally indicated that certain knowledge cannot be revealed yet. Here, he indicates that the inner meaning of the pentagram must remain undisclosed for now.

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There is one more symbol we should consider as we approach the date of Christ’s birth. It is the occult symbol for Christ himself — the symbol of the “intelligence of the Sun.” Here is Steiner’s description of this symbol:

"Christ was always the representative of the sun, namely, the intelligence of the Sun [1] … The sign of the intelligence of the Sun is the following:

[READING THE PICTURES OF THE APOCALYPSE; RR copy.]

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"This is, at the same time, the occult sign of the lamb.[2] The lamb receives the book with the seven seals. [3] '...I saw a lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.' (Rev. 5:6) The seven corners of the sign are called 'horns.' But what do the 'eyes' mean? [4]

"In occult schools [5] the signs of the seven planets [6] are written next to the seven eyes. The seven eyes signify nothing other than the seven planets, while the names of the planets designate the spirits incarnated in them as their intelligence. [7] 'Saturn' is the name of the soul of Saturn. The names of the planets come from the spirits of the seven planets found around the earth. These have an influence on human life. [8] The lamb, Christ, contains all seven. Christ is the alpha and the omega; the seven planets are related to him like members to an entire body. The entwining of the lines of the sign portray in a wonderful way the interaction between the seven planets. From Saturn one rises to the Sun, from there down to the Moon, then on to Mars, Mercury, and so forth … Christ is the regent of all these world spheres; their actions constitute only part of his being; he unites them all. In Rosicrucian schools [9] a lamb is often drawn as a sign for the intelligence of the Sun." — Rudolf Steiner, READING THE PICTURES OF THE APOCALYPSE (Anthroposophic Press, 1993), lecture 1, GA 104a.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] According to Steiner, Christ is the Sun God — he is the Spirit or Genius or Intelligence of the Sun. [See “Sun God”.]

[2] In Christianity, Jesus is sometimes called the Lamb of God — the beloved, gentle Redeemer. See John 1:29: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'”

[3] That is, in the Book of Revelation (the final book of the Christian Bible), a lamb receives a book or scroll that is held shut by seven seals or clasps. When the seals are opened, the Second Coming of Christ occurs. 

The Book of Revelation is highly symbolic and mysterious. The meanings of the things mentioned in the Book of Revelation are generally unclear and thus open to varying interpretations. In READING OF THE PICTURES OF THE APOCALYPSE, Steiner presents his interpretations — which his followers generally accept as true clairvoyant revelations.

[4] Steiner quotes a passage in which the lamb is described as having seven horns and seven eyes "which are the seven spirits of God." (In the Book Revelation, the lamb is also referred to as the Lion of Judah.) The "horns" may be bony spikes, or annunciatory trumpets, and/or a multi-pronged crown. The "seven spirits of God" may be seven Archangels, rulers of seven planetary spheres. But many other interpretations are possible.

The seven eyes, Steiner says, "signify nothing other than the seven planets."

[5] Steiner affirmed occultism, i.e., the value of hidden spiritual wisdom. His own teachings are occult in this sense, he indicated. [See “Occultism”.]

[6] The actual solar system contains eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. But Steiner affirmed the ancient belief that there are seven “planets”: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. [See the entry for “planets” in The Brief Waldorf/ Steiner Encyclopedia.] These are "the seven planets found around the earth" — i.e., the orbs moving through cosmic space beyond the Earth, orbs from which gods send down their astrological influences.

[7] Steiner taught that the “spirits incarnated in” the planets are the gods who dwell on or within the planets, such as the god Saturn who is the spiritual essence or “intelligence” of the planet Saturn.

[8] This is the essence of the astrology affirmed by Steiner: The gods on/in the planets “have an influence on human life.” [See "Astrology", "Star Power", and "Waldorf Astrology".]

[9] The Rosicrucians were or are a secretive (occult) society claiming to possess arcane knowledge of spiritual mysteries. Steiner taught that Rosicrucianism is the correct spiritual path for modern humans. By this, he essentially meant a form of Rosicruianism that aligns with his own teachings. [See “Rosy Cross”.] The roses on a Waldorf Christmas tree are, at one level, visual references to Rosicrucianism.

— R.R.

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December 21, 2018

ONE LAST 

SILENT NIGHT?

From The Watford Observer [Hertfordshire, UK]:

[Watford Observer]

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Kings Langley school’s 

last ever Christmas

By Alex Alley

People have contributed their time to a festive market at a closed down school. The Rudolf Steiner School in Langley Hill, Kings Langley, has hosted the Christmas Market on December 2.

The school which has been closed since the summer was decorated in a festive spirit and seasonal food was on offer for attendees.

A spokesperson for the market said: “Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the great success of the Christmas Market at the Kings Langley [school] on December 2….”

Past pupils were...present at the market, a brother and sister from Germany had been guest students at the school 10 and 13 years ago….

A spokesperson said: “We are coming to terms with the recent closure; seeing so many happy faces at the Christmas Market was all the more wonderful.”

[12/21/2018    https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/17311812.kings-langley-schools-last-ever-christmas/    This story originally appeared on December 20.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, having failed a series of official inspections, has been ordered closed by UK education authorities.

But saying that Christmas will never again be celebrated at the school may be premature. Most of the school is now shuttered, but school leaders are appealing the closure order, and a kindergarten apparently remains open at the school.

The school had numerous serous defects, inspectors found. News accounts referred to poor teaching, poor management, faulty leadership, and practices that endangered the safety of the students at the school. 

So, for instance, a newspaper article in April, 2018, included the following:

Ofsted [the Office for Standards in Education]...stated standards were not met in ‘Quality of education’, and in ‘Quality of leadership in and management of schools’.

About quality of education, the report says “Work was frequently unchallenging and teachers’ assessment of the progress made by pupils was still in its infancy”....

The section about ‘Welfare, health and safety of pupils’ adds: “Leaders have failed to ensure that all new employees have been thoroughly vetted prior to taking up their post.

“They have accepted applications that fall far short of a professional standard….”

[The Hemel Gazette, April 27, 2018]

An article in May, 2018, added this:

The [inspectors'] report says the school has failed to meet the necessary standards for safeguarding, handling of complaints, and quality of leadership.

And it says that the school’s leaders have “potentially put pupils at risk” with their recruitment policies.

Criticisms include: “The lack of rigour and inaccurate recording amount to more than administrative errors.

“They are indicative of leaders’ continuing failure to take their responsibilities seriously”....

[The Hemel Gazette, May 29, 2018]

The results of the school’s appeal have not yet been announced.

Meanwhile, another Steiner school in the UK — the Steiner Academy Exeter — appears to be in danger of receiving a closure order, for reasons similar to the problems found at King Langley.

[For coverage of events at Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, see “RSSKL”. For coverage of events at Steiner Academy Exeter, see “S. A. Exeter”.]

— R.R.

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.December 20, 2018

JESUS #1, JESUS #2, 

THE SUN GOD, AND WALDORF 

This is the season when the birth of Christ is celebrated throughout Christendom.

Christmas celebrations at Waldorf schools superficially resemble those held elsewhere. But there are important underlying differences, differences stemming from the clairvoyant discoveries Rudolf Steiner claimed to have made about the real nature of Christ.

We might summarize the underlying Waldorf beliefs about Christ this way:

Christ is the Sun God; he is the spiritual ruler of the Sun, the god whom ancient peoples worshipped under such names as Apollo. He descended to Earth for a few years in order to steer human evolution in the right direction. He incarnated in the body of a man called Jesus. There were actually two children named Jesus — one held the spiritual essence of Zarathustra while the other held the spiritual essence of Buddha. One of the Jesus children died so that he could merge, spiritually, with the other Jesus child. The resulting Zarthustra-Buddha-Jesus formed the physical vessel in which the Sun God incarnated upon the Earth.

Here are a few statements by Rudolf Steiner touching on these matters:

◊ “The highest Ruler of Saturn…appears to us as the Father God, and the highest Ruler of Sun, the Sun-God, as the Christ. Similarly the Ruler of the Moon stage of Earth appears to us as the Holy Spirit…. [1]” — Rudolf Steiner, ROSICRUCIAN WISDOM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2000), p. 100.

◊ “Had Christ not appeared on the earth, had He remained the Sun-God only, humanity on the earth would have fallen into decay. Increasingly men would have come to believe that material things alone exist, that the sun and the stars are material bodies. For men had forgotten altogether that they themselves had descended from a pre-earthly existence, from the spirit-world of the stars. [2]” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING (Anthroposophical Publishing Company, 1958), “World-Pentecost; The Message of Anthroposophy”, GA 226.

◊ “[T]wo Jesus children were born. One was descended from the so-called Nathan line of the House of David [3], the other from the Solomon line [4]. These two children grew up side by side. In the body of the Solomon child lived the soul of Zarathustra. In the twelfth year of the child's life this soul passed over into the other Jesus child and lived in that body until its thirtieth year ... And then, only from the thirtieth year onward, there lived in this body the Being [5] Whom we call the Christ, Who remained on earth altogether for three years.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE OCCULT SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA (Anthroposophic Press, 1968), p. 59.

◊ “[N]ot one but two Jesus-children were born ... The important thing is to understand clearly what kind of beings these two children were. Occult investigation [6] shows that the individuality [7] who was in the Solomon Jesus-child was none other than Zarathustra ... Buddha forces permeated the astral body [8] of the Nathan Jesus-child.” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM JESUS TO CHRIST (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005), pp. 133-136.

Waldorf schools are unlikely to proclaim these beliefs openly. But these beliefs are essential to the Waldorf conception of Christmas.

[For more on these matters, see, e.g., “Polytheism”, "Clairvoyance", “Was He Christian?”, and “Christmas”.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] In Christianity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three aspects of God; but in Anthroposophy, they are three separate gods. Christianity is monothesitic; Anthroposophy is polytheistic. Thus, according to Steiner, the god whom we identify as The Father is, in fact, the god of Saturn. Likewise, the god we call Christ is the Sun God, and the god we call the Holy Spirit is the god of the Moon stage of evolution.

The “Moon stage of the Earth” is, according to Steiner, the stage of cosmic evolution that preceded our current Earth stage. [See the entry for “Old Moon” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[2] In descending to the Earth, the Sun God sought to reorient humanity to the spirit realm. During the current Earth phase of cosmic evolution, humanity has become extremely immersed in material existence. Blinded by our materialism (our belief that only the physical world is real), we have lost sight of spiritual truths. We even think, for instance, that the stars are physical objects. In truth, the stars are spiritual loci, parts of the spiritual realm, the abodes of gods. The mission of the descended Sun God was, and remains, pointing humanity in the correct direction for our future spiritual evolution. [See the entries for “evolution" and "evolution of consciousness” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[3] The “House of David” is the Davidic line of succession, the royal lineage of the rulers descended from King David in the history of the Jewish people.

Nathan was the third son of King David and his wife Bathsheba. Steiner says that one of the two Jesus children was descended from Nathan. The essence of Buddha resided in this child, Steiner taught.

[4] Solomon was the fourth son of King David and his wife Bathsheba. Solomon succeeded his father as King.

Steiner says that the second Jesus child was descended from Solomon. The essence of Zarathustra resided in this child, Steiner taught.

[5] I.e., the descended Sun God. 

[6] I.e., the disciplined use of clairvoyance. Steiner claimed to use "exact clairvoyance". [See "Exactly".]

[7] i.e., the essence of the individual — the “I” or spiritual ego. [See “Ego”.]

[8] The astral body, according to Steiner, is the second of three invisible bodies that incarnate during childhood. [See "Incarnation".]

— R.R.

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.December 18, 2018

BATTERED STEINER ACADEMY 

WILL CLOSE (A LITTLE) 

From DevonLive.com [Devon, UK]: 

A part of Exeter's Steiner Academy

is to close

and its future remains uncertain

By Anita Merritt

Following a damning Ofsted inspection which saw Steiner Academy Exeter temporarily close, the school has now announced its kindergarten will not reopen at the beginning of next term.

The 442-pupil school was shut down for more than a week following a visit from inspectors in October who discovered a catalogue of failings at the school including leadership being 'dysfunctional at every level', Kindergarten pupils being physically restrained by teachers, and a lack of support for vulnerable children.

As part of its ongoing drive for improvement, the school…will undertake a consultation next year into the future of the kindergarten. It will open as usual until the end of term this Friday, December 21, but will not immediately reopen with the rest of the school in the new year….

The school hit the headlines earlier this year when two six-year-old pupils walked out of the school unnoticed during lessons in July, and a safeguarding investigation was launched.

The academy now has a new acting principal, Paul Hougham. The academy has also approached the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to discuss the ongoing financial stability of the school as a whole, and is working closely with the Regional Schools Commissioner as it seeks an existing multi-academy trust which would be interested in adopting the school….

[12/18/2018   https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/part-exeters-steiner-academy-close-2339303]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Steiner Academy Exeter is a free school — what in the USA would be called a charter school. Ofsted is the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education.

Ofsted inspectors have identified numerous failings at Steiner Academy Exeter. The school’s failure to adequately ensure the safety of students has received the most press coverage, and conditions in the kindergarten have seemed especially censurable. But many of the inspectors’ criticisms apply to the whole school, ranging from bad teaching to bad management.

The future of the school is now in doubt. Leaders at the school have indicated an intention to make needed improvements. Whether they will be able to do so while continuing the function as a Steiner school is doubtful, however. The Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, against which Ofsted leveled similar criticisms, was ultimately ordered to close down. [See “RSSKL”.]

Steiner schools have a history of resisting government decrees. The schools are often intensely secretive; any apparent compliance with external requirements may prove to be mere window dressing. Steiner schools have often sought to deceive inspectors rather than cooperate with them. [See “Secrets” and “He Went to Waldorf”.]

Steiner Academy Exeter has now announced the closure of its kindergarten in the near term. Whether this is the beginning of the end for the school overall remains to be seen. UK education officials have said that, in order to remain in operation, the school must be adopted by a competent multi-academy trust (a reputable educational organization that operates two or more schools). Finding such a trust that is willing to take responsibility for Steiner Academy Exeter may be difficult.

In the meantime, financial pressures seem to be increasing at the school. And there is a question whether insurers will continue offering coverage for the school. One of the final crises at Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley came when insurers refused the underwrite the school further.

For previous coverage of matters at Steiner Academy Exeter, see “S. A. Exeter”.

— R.R.

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December 17, 2018

WALDORF AND 

THE FAR RIGHT

From DW [German broadcaster Deutsche Welle]:

Berlin school rejects

son of AfD politician,

causing uproar

A Berlin school rejected the application of a child because the father is an AfD politician [1], prompting criticism on Sunday.

A Waldorf school, also known as a Steiner school, reportedly held lengthy meetings with the AfD politician and his wife as well as about 20 teachers and decided against accepting their child despite the fact he was already attending its kindergarten. The parents were reportedly quizzed about their political views.

The private school, which encourages heavy parental participation, found there was too much potential for ongoing conflict for them to accept the child, according to the managing director of the association responsible for Waldorf schools….

AfD versus teachers

The far-right party has repeatedly criticized teachers for inculcating pupils against [the party’s] xenophobic and nationalist views, even setting up an anonymous online system for pupils to report teachers who speak against them.

The decision [to reject the child] was panned by state Education Minister Sandra Scheeres, a Social Democrat [2], who said the administration of the school had been summoned over the matter, according to Berliner Zeitung. [3]

Private schools are governed by the same regulations as state schools, but they also have the right to select pupils as long as they don't violate anti-discrimination legislation….

[12/17/2018    https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-school-rejects-son-of-afd-politician-causing-uproar/a-46766394]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Rejecting a student because of his parents’ political views is a controversial move. Making the decision by the Berlin Waldorf school more curious: Alternative for Germany occupies a position on the rightmost (some would say fascistic) edge of German politics, and Waldorf education has a long history of close ties to far-right (some would say fascistic) political movements. 

It may be that the Waldorf school in Berlin was swayed by the combative attitude Alternative for Germany has taken toward teachers and schools of all types. AfD has been quick to assail any teachers or schools it deems insufficiently friendly to its specific policies and beliefs. Even if leaders of the Berlin Waldorf school are generally comfortable with AfD’s political views, they might have anticipated unpleasant disputes over particular — perhaps relatively minor — political or social issues. [4] But if they hoped to avoid clashes with an AfD family, their decision to reject the family’s child may produce even more heated clashes.

Anthroposophy as a whole does not embrace far-right political beliefs. Not all Anthroposophists are right-wingers. But many are. Scholars such as historian Peter Staudenmaier have traced ties between numerous important Anthroposophists and fascistic political parties — including the Nazi Party — during the 1930’s and 1940’s. [5] Moreover, these scholars have exposed far-right tendencies among Anthroposophists today.

The following is from a recent message Staudenmaier posted online. It deals with the rightward tilt within Anthroposophical circles today, including the enthusiasm certain leading Anthroposophists show for far-right conspiricist thinking. At least some Anthroposophists oppose these tendencies, Staudenmaier reports. But other Anthroposophists have sharply criticized the stand taken by their comparatively liberal colleagues.

[A] group of German and Swiss anthroposophists [have spoken] up publicly against the spread of conspiracy thinking within the anthroposophical movement, a trend that has often gone hand in hand with increasingly right-wing political views. The good news this summer was the publication of eight brief statements from anthroposophists explicitly criticizing this trend….

The publication of those statements unsurprisingly caused a stir among Steiner's followers…and there has been considerable backlash against the critical voices since then. One of the more telling examples is a special September 2018 edition of the official newsletter "Anthroposophie Weltweit" [6] from the Anthroposophical Society, which consists of the full text of 40 letters sent to the editors of the newsletter….

Two of the letters are supportive of the critical statements last summer; the rest express strong disapproval … They recycle a whole universe of beloved conspiracy theories, anthroposophical and otherwise. The indignant letter writers include Waldorf teachers….

The letters consistently point to Steiner’s own ample contributions to the conspiracist tradition [7], especially regarding World War I [8], and they add in all sorts of conspiracy myths of their own, from 9/11 to the CIA to occult brotherhoods to secret lodges to Jesuits, Freemasons, Jews, etc….

Letters like this are a bad sign for Steiner's movement. They suggest that a large proportion of anthroposophists today, in Germany and elsewhere, have fallen completely for the conspiracist worldviews that have accompanied the movement all along….

[https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/31962   This message was posted on December 11.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] AfD stands for Alternative für Deutschland, meaning Alternative for Germany. According to Wikipedia, “Parts of the AfD have racist, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic and xenophobic tendencies linked to far-right movements such as neo-Nazism and identitarianism." [See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_for_Germany. Wikipedia is not always reliable, but in this instance it seems to be accurate.]

[2] According to The Encyclopedia Britannica, the “Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), German Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, [is] Germany’s oldest political party and one of the country’s two main parties ... It advocates the modernization of the economy to meet the demands of globalization, but it also stresses the need to address the social needs of workers and society’s disadvantaged.” [See https://www.britannica.com/topic/Social-Democratic-Party-of-Germany.]

[3] Berliner Zeitung (meaning The Berlin News) is a daily German newspaper.

[4] Disagreements might result more from the esoteric, spiritualistic nature of Anthroposophy than from any political doctrines of the AfD. Many Anthroposophists may agree with various far-right parties about various issues, but few members of such parties are likely to endorse the otherworldly, occult beliefs of Anthroposophy. [For a primer on Anthroposophy, see, e.g., “Everything”.]

[5] See, e.g., “Sympathizers?”

[6] I.e., Anthroposophy Worldwide.

[7] Steiner spread various conspiracy theories, and his followers have tended to accept his teachings on these matters (as on all others) as unarguably true. [For some of Steiner’s conspiricist teachings, see “Double Trouble”.]

[8] See, e.g., “Steiner and the Warlord”.

— R.R.

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December 16, 2018

◊ NEWS BRIEFS ◊

WALDORF AND INFECTION

The recent chickenpox outbreak at an American Waldorf school, and the general antipathy to vaccines found in the Waldorf movement, continue to generate bad publicity for Waldorf education. Here are two recent examples:

1.

A news item about a nonprofit healthcare organization that serves Virginia and northeastern North Carolina — from WHSV-3 TV, ABC News [Virginia, USA]:

Sentara requiring staff 

to get updated vaccines

On Thursday, Sentara Health announced that all current employees are now required to be up-to-date on vaccines.

Sentara officials stated this extra precaution will take place after last month's chickenpox outbreak in North Carolina, in which 37 Asheville Waldorf School students contracted the disease.

The list of required vaccines for staff include Measles, Mumps, chickenpox, Hepatitis B, Whooping Cough, and the flu.…

[12/16/2018    https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Sentara-requiring-staff-to-get-updated-vaccines-502803241.html    This story aired on December 14.]

2. 

Commentary inspired by a recent measles outbreak affecting Orthodox Jewish communities — from JewishPress.com [New York, USA]:

Who’s Responsible For 

The Measles Outbreak?

By Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter

…How does one explain the zeal of extreme anti-vax advocates? Why do they reject scientific evidence with such confidence, even religious fervor?

To answer this question, one must examine the source of anti-vaccination propaganda….

One movement in close physical proximity to Orthodox communities...is known as the “Waldorf School,” which is part of Anthroposophy, a New Age sub-movement….

The untold story behind this measles outbreak is that many of the most energetic and extreme anti-vaxxers are associated with non-Jewish, nay, anti-Jewish New Age movements. It is the advocates of such movements who are most responsible for the recklessness leading to the measles outbreak.…

[12/16/2018    http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/whos-responsible-for-the-measles-outbreak/2018/12/14/    This story originally appeared on December 14.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Whether a healthcare organization needed to learn from the bad example set by a Waldorf school is, at best, surprising. And whether Waldorf education bears any responsibility for the recent measles outbreak in London is, at least, debatable.

But items such as these are revealing.

The Waldorf movement is giving itself an unfortunate reputation. People far and wide are starting to identify Waldorf with backwardness, recklessness, and bad medicine.

This reputation may be an accurate reflection of the thinking found within the Waldorf movement. But it is surely not a reputation Waldorf wants for itself.

For Waldorf Watch coverage of the situation at the Asheville Waldorf School, see "Asheville Waldorf".

Concerning the Anthroposophical attitude toward Jews and their religion — Rabbi Leiter suggests that Anthroposophy may be antisemitic — see, e.g., "R.S. on Jews".

 — R.R.

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December 15, 2018

A MOTHER SCHOOL 

SEEKS SUPPORT 

From the Anthroposophical news service NNA [Nexus News Agency — London, UK]:

Mbagathi Rudolf Steiner School 

seeks new funding approach 

The oldest Rudolf Steiner school in East Africa has continued to face funding difficulties in 2018 following a drop of sponsorship income in recent years which led to a shortfall of five million Kenyan shillings….

The Mbagathi Rudolf Steiner School’s “unique commitment to support underpriviledge children” had also led to an ongoing struggle to find a sound financial basis for the school since the majority of parents are unable to pay the school fees, the school says.

Most of the children at the “Mother School of East Africa” come from families where poverty affects many aspects of their lives; many are orphans….

The school is…pushing hard to persuade sponsors to move to regular monthly donations. It is also moving the focus from sponsorship of individual children to the whole school….

Over the years, the “Mother School” has grown into a strong foundation for the whole development of Steiner/Waldorf education in East Africa….

[12/15/2018 

http://www.nna-news.org/news/article/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2727&cHash=4824fb1fb47242a5ef6350efa0412bf9    This story originally appeared on December 14.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Followers of Rudolf Steiner make concerted efforts to open Waldorf schools in as many countries, on as many continents, as possible. They want to extend the presumed benefits of Waldorf education to all children everywhere. And, more fundamentally, they want to spread the Waldorf belief system, the religion known as Anthroposophy. [1] The Mbagathi Rudolf Steiner School is a "Mother School" that works to spawn additional Steiner schools throughout East Africa.

But whether Waldorf education is suitable for students anywhere except in north/central Europe is an open question. [2] Rudolf Steiner created the original Waldorf school to serve the needs of white German children. [3]  

Steiner taught that the various human races stand at different levels of evolution. [4] Whites have attained the highest levels, he said. And among whites, he said, Germans are particularly elevated. Germans possess wisdom and spirituality that can lead humanity to still higher stages of development. 

“[H]uman development has not yet torn out of the soul what we need to improve it. It is still in the soul, particularly in the German people.” — Rudolf Steiner, EDUCATION AS A FORCE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (Anthroposophic Press, 1997), p. 178.

Black Africans, on the other hand, stand at a very low evolutionary level, Steiner taught. Blacks are earthy and instinctual; they have supercharged sexual appetites; they do not make much use of the front parts of their brains, relying instead on their “rear brains.” [5]

"[E]verything connected to the body and the metabolism is strongly developed in the Negro. He has, as they say, powerful physical drives, powerful instincts ... [H]is whole metabolism operates as if he were being cooked inside by the sun. That is where his instinctual life comes from. The Negro is constantly cooking inside, and what feeds this fire is his rear-brain.” — Rudolf Steiner, VOM LEBEN DES MENSCHEN UND DER ERDE - ÜBER DAS WESEN DES CHRISTENTUMS (Rudolf Steiner Verlag, 1993), p. 55. [6]

Blacks are the lowest human type, Steiner taught. Yellow Asians occupy a middle position, he said, and whites are at the top.

"On one side we find the black race, which is earthly at most … We also have the yellow race, which is in the middle … The white race is the future, the race that is spiritually creative.” — Rudolf Steiner, VOM LEBEN DES MENSCHEN UND DER ERDE - ÜBER DAS WESEN DES CHRISTENTUMS, p. 62.

The hope for blacks, Steiner taught, is that they may eventually reincarnate in higher (lighter) bodies. [7] They may attain spiritual liberation if they eventually become members of higher races.

"A race or nation stands so much the higher, the more perfectly its members express the pure, ideal human type ... 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. [8]

Steiner’s followers content that his teachings are not racist, since they allow for all humans to evolve upward along the same path, from lowly (dark and earthly) racial forms to higher (lighter and more spiritual) racial forms. However, the essence of racism is the proposition that some races are higher than others, and Steiner’s teachings include precisely this proposition. Steiner's teachings are racist.

Africans — and especially black Africans — may want to think carefully about whether Waldorf schools belong on the African continent. Clearly, part of the motivation behind the Mbagathi Rudolf Steiner School is charitable, and the children in the school may be treated quite well. Moreover, the school almost certainly does not convey Steiner's racist doctrines to the students. But this does not expunge the racism that is embedded in the Waldorf movement. [9] Racists sometimes hate the people they think are beneath them, and treat them accordingly. But racists may also sometimes patronize the people they think are beneath them, and treat them accordingly. Both racist approaches, premised on the idea that some races are lower than others, are wrong. Both are, in their different ways, prejudiced, benighted, and indefensible. Both are racist.

[1] See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"

[2] We may even question whether Waldorf education is suitable for children anywhere at all, including in Germany. A form of education rooted in mysticism may be bad for all children. And the same holds for any form of education having roots in racist teachings such as Steiner’s.

[3] See “The Good Wars”.

[4] See “Steiner’s Racism”.

[5] See “Races”..

[6] Steiner's followers generally know to downplay, disguise, and hide Steiner's more objectionable remarks. Statements like this are rarely translated from German to English. [See, e.g., "Forbidden".]

[7] Belief in reincarnation is central to Anthroposophy. [See "Reincarnation".]

[8] If there is no such thing as reincarnation, then by Steiner's logic blacks are stuck in an inferior position. They cannot hope to rise to equality with whites since they are living, now, as black human beings during the only lives they will ever have. (We might be able to imagine other paths to equality, but the path Steiner imagined depended on reincarnation. And until blacks reincarnate several times, he indicated, they will remain lower than whites.)

[9] See "Embedded Racism".

— R.R.

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December 14, 2018

◊ NEWS BRIEFS ◊

1. WORST SCHOOLS, 

2. LOST STUDENTS

1.

WORST SCHOOLS

A Steiner primary school in the UK has shown up on a “worst schools” list. From The Sun [London, England]:

BAD EDUCATION 

Full list of England’s worst 

primary schools released – 

find out if your child’s is on the list

by Aletha Adu

THE worst primary schools in England have finally been revealed — and you can find out if your child's is on this list.

More than 90,000 pupils are being taught at under-performing primaries, and 346 of those schools are far below Government targets.…

Schools are considered to be under-performing if less than 65 per cent of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Or if the kids fail to make sufficient progress in the three key areas.…

South-west England…

Steiner Academy Bristol….

[12/14/2018   https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7972670/full-list-england-worst-primary-schools-released/   This story originally appeared on December 13.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Steiner schools (aka Waldorf schools) generally postpone the teaching of arithmetic and reading until students are at least seven years old. This causes young Steiner / Waldorf students to lag their peers in other types of schools. Proponents of Steiner education claim that kids in Steiner / Waldorf schools catch up eventually, but the evidence for this is sparse at best. In general, Steiner / Waldorf schools tend to have low academic standards at all grade levels. [See “Academic Standards at Waldorf”. To consider why Steinerites consider age seven a crucial turning point for children, see "Incarnation".]

2.

LOST STUDENTS

A pair of Steiner schools in the UK have been criticized by education officials for failing to safeguard their students adequately. [See “RSSKL” and “S. A. Exeter”.] One problem cited is that students at these schools are not well supervised. Thus, for instance, children sometimes leave the school grounds without any teachers noticing. 

Now, an incident of this sort has been reported concerning a young student at an American Waldorf school. From TMJ4-TV, NBC News Milwaukee [Wisconsin, USA]:

Good Samaritan credited 

with protecting girl who 

wandered away from school 

By Pete Zervakis

A Milwaukee mom is crediting a Good Samaritan with keeping her daughter safe after the 9-year old wandered away from school….

A woman named Anne…spotted the girl walking around alone.

She invited Autumn inside and kept her there, safe, until the two of them could call her family….

An administrator at Tamarack Waldorf School, where Autumn is a student, confirmed that a student there wandered away Monday but that she was recovered in about "10 minutes”….

[Autumn's mother] said the wait felt like a lifetime. She still has questions about how Autumn was able to slip out of the building unnoticed, and hopes to address those with the school's administration.

"It was extremely terrifying for me while I was out looking for her," [the mother] said. "I was shaking and crying”….

[12/14/2018   https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/good-samaritan-credited-with-protecting-girl-who-wandered-away-from-school    This story originally appeared on December 13.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

This was a minor incident that turned out well. We might not take much notice, except that problems with the safeguarding of students at Waldorf or Steiner schools are reported with some regularity. These schools sometimes fail to protect their students as carefully as they should. One fundamental reason is that, according to Waldorf belief, students are protected by guardian angels. A related belief is that events befall students in accordance with karma. For these reasons, Waldorf teachers may often think that they need not worry much about what their students are doing. [See "Slaps" and “Karma”.]

Autumn, her mother, and Tamarack Waldorf School are fortunate that “Anne” turned out to be a Good Samaritan. The story of Autumn's wanderings could easily have had a far worse ending. Leaving a young child unsupervised long enough for her to wander away and begin walking around, alone, in a large city, suggests a serious failure on the part of the school. This is so even if, as the school’s spokesman claims, Autumn’s absence was noticed before very long. And we should note that, according to news accounts, Autumn was not actually recovered for more than an hour.

— R.R.

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December 13, 2018

WALDORF AND INFECTION — 

ONCE AGAIN?

Evidently the students at a Waldorf school in California may be in danger on contracting pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. Fortunately, only one individual in the school community is thought to be a potential carrier of the illness so far, and that case is not yet confirmed.

A letter reportedly sent to families by the Director of Berkley Rose Waldorf School says the following:

Dear Families,

I wanted to let you know that there is a possible (unconfirmed) case of Pertussis in our community. I have been in conversation with Berkeley Public Health today, and we wanted to proactively let you know that your child may have been exposed. Please see attached letter from the City of Berkeley Public Health Division with their recommendations.

Here is the beginning of the letter from the Berkeley Public Health Division:

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Your child may have been exposed to Pertussis (“whooping cough”) at Berkeley Rose Waldorf School in Berkeley. Pertussis can spread through the air when people cough. It often starts like a common cold that gets worse and worse over 1-2 weeks. People with pertussis have coughing spells that may last several minutes. As they catch their breath at the end of each coughing spell, they may gasp loudly (“whoop”) and vomit or choke.

If your child develops an acute cough illness, please make an appointment for him/her to see their healthcare provider....

[See https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/31963]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools have been the sites of numerous infectious disease outbreaks over the years, largely because — too often — high percentages of the students at these schools are unvaccinated. A large outbreak of chickenpox, garnering international media attention, has recently occurred at an American Waldorf school. [See “Asheville Waldorf”.] 

In 2016, a Canadian Waldorf school was the center of a whooping cough outbreak.

From the CBC (the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation):

Whooping cough outbreak at

Calgary Waldorf School

prompts reminder to vaccinate kids

Immunizations effective at preventing

potentially fatal disease in children, AHS advises

CBC News · Posted: May 03, 2016 12:45 PM MT

After a whooping cough outbreak tied to Calgary Waldorf School, 

Alberta Health Services warned:

'This outbreak does serve as a reminder of the importance of immunization,

particularly to protect children and other at-risk individuals.' (CBC)

.

.

.

Health officials are reminding parents that vaccinations help prevent the spread of contagious diseases after a whooping cough outbreak at Calgary Waldorf School.

There have been 19 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, in the Calgary health zone in 2016, and eight of those cases are linked to the [Waldorf] school….

Whooping cough is the result of a bacterial infection and its main symptom is a severe cough that can last for weeks.

The infection can also lead to pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage and, in some cases, death.

Eight cases of Calgary's 19 cases of whooping cough so far in 2016

have been linked to Calgary Waldorf School.... (CBC)

.

.

The cases at Waldorf School are not considered a risk to the general public.

In a release, however, Alberta Health Services (AHS) warned that "this outbreak does serve as a reminder of the importance of immunization, particularly to protect children and other at-risk individuals."

[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-waldorf-school-whooping-cough-outbreak-1.3564574]

— R.R.

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December 12, 2018

A CLOSED STEINER SCHOOL -

STILL INADEQUATE 

In recent weeks, UK education officials have expressed serious concerns about Steiner schools. Most recently, these concerns have centered on Steiner Academy Exeter. But before that, Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley had been in the searchlight’s beam. Today the beam has swung back to Kings Langley.

From The Hemel Gazette [Hertfordshire, England]:

Rudolf Steiner School receive

‘extremely upsetting’ Ofsted report

By Ben Raza

A controversial school in Kings Langley has had another highly critical Ofsted report [1] — but bosses [2] say that inspectors have simply not been fair. [3]

Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) was deemed Inadequate after Ofsted visited from November 6-9. ‘Leadership’ was deemed Inadequate, while ‘Quality of teaching’, ‘Personal development’, and ‘Outcomes for pupils’ were all deemed Requires Improvement. [4]

But in an exclusive interview with the Gazette, school bosses said that Ofsted showed a “clear lack of sensitivity” and that the visit had been “an extremely upsetting experience of staff”….

One of the main criticisms made in the report was the turnover of leadership, and the failure of trustees to hold the school’s leaders to account. [5]

Inspectors pointed to five different leaders of the school and five different chairmen of the board of trustees since the 2016 inspection….

[12/12/2018    https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/education/rudolf-steiner-school-receive-extremely-upsetting-ofsted-report-1-8736938]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Ofsted is the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. Ofsted's "parent department" is the Department for Education.

[2] I.e., the current leaders of the school.

[3] Technically, RSSKL is closed. The government ordered the school to shut down after a series of Ofsted inspections found serious problems at the school. However, RSSKL is appealing the closure order, and it continues to operate a kindergarten.

[4] Although the school is technically closed, a skeleton staff evidently remains in place, as does a board of trustees. 

Ofsted inspectors apparently inquired into the school’s tentative intentions and plans. A teacher quoted in The Hemel Gazette said this:

“The Department for Education knew we were closed to all of the pupils in the lower and upper parts of the school.

“Yet inspectors insisted on knowing what we had put in place between May and July of the last academic year and asked what we intended to put in place for the new academic year.” 

It may seem strange for Ofsted to inspect a school that is "closed." But RSSKL has not given up the ghost; its leaders still intend to reopen the school if and when they can. So Ofsted is right to inquire whether the school, if it reopened, would have resolved its many deficiencies. To date, the answer appears to be no. (Whether RSSKL teachers find the process "upsetting" is surely beside the point.)

[5] Leaders and teachers at RSSKL seem to have resisted Ofsted at almost every step along the way. This recalcitrance (stemming from an apparent determination to persist in Steiner principles and practices) contributed to the school’s official demise. 

The current faculty and staff apparently remain devoted to the Steiner approach, but a high rate of turnover seems to have undercut the school’s ability to formulate and implement plans for the future.

For previous coverage of the evolving situation at Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, see "RSSKL”.

For coverage of matters at Steiner Academy Exeter, see “S. A. Exeter”.

— R.R.

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.December 11, 2018

U.K. STEINER SCHOOLS TO RECEIVE 

SPECIAL SCRUTINY (CONT.)

Here are excerpts from an article in TES (formerly the Times Education Supplement). This article develops and clarifies some matters raised in the article from The Daily Telegraph excerpted here yesterday.

From TES [London, UK]:

Ofsted to increase monitoring

of private school inspections

The inspectorate had been calling for more powers

to monitor inspection activity in independent school sector

By Julia Belgutay

Ofsted [1] has been commissioned to carry out additional monitoring of independent school inspectorates by the education secretary.… [2]

In a letter to Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman, education secretary Damian Hinds said: “…I know that you take a different view to your predecessor, who had asked for the monitoring to be scaled back….”

In his letter setting out his new plans, dated 15 November, Mr Hinds also demanded that Steiner schools [3] be subjected to “additional scrutiny” by Ofsted. "In the case of the independent schools, I would like to commission Ofsted to conduct a series of inspections of some of the Steiner independent schools, rather than the School Inspection Service (SIS), and for this to go alongside increased monitoring by Ofsted of SIS inspections," he said. [4]

The incidence of safeguarding issues in private Steiner schools “appears to be higher” than average, he explained. [5]

[12/11/2018    https://www.tes.com/news/ofsted-increase-monitoring-private-school-inspections    This article originally appeared on December 9.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Ofsted is the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. Ofsted inspects state schools as well as some independent schools, with the purpose of ensuring that the schools meet essential educational and organizational standards.

[2] In the UK, different provisions are made for the inspection of independent or private schools as distinct from state or public schools. “Inspectorates” are organizations that undertake various types of inspection. (We will return to this matter in a subsequent footnote.) Concerns have been expressed that independent schools, including Steiner schools, have not be inspected thoroughly enough. The head of the Ofsted inspectorate, Amanda Spielman, has argued for increased authority to oversee the inspection of independent schools. (The "inspectorate" mentioned in the sub-headline is the Ofsted inspectorate; the "independent school inspectorates" mentioned in the first sentence of the article are organizations that inspect independent schools.)

[3] Steiner schools in the UK have generally been operated as independent schools. However, some Steiner schools have received charters as “free schools” — these Steiner schools are formally part of the state school system, but they largely follow a Steiner curriculum.

[4] Steiner schools are usually inspected by teams from the School Inspection Service, a non-governmental inspectorate. But when serious problems are allegedly found at a school inspected by SIS, further inspections made then be made by Ofsted. SIS inspections have typically been less rigorous than those carried out by Ofsted. 

[5] Ofsted inspections of some Steiner schools have identified numerous problems and deficiencies at these schools. Understandably, the schools’ evident failure to ensure the safety of their students has garnered the most concern and attention, but many other failures were also noted. Although the letter refers to "private Steiner schools," in fact the same problems — including "safeguarding issues" — have been found in at least one Steiner free school. [See “RSSKL” and “S. A. Exeter”.]

— R.R.

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December 10, 2018

U.K. STEINER SCHOOLS 

TO RECEIVE SPECIAL SCRUTINY

The implications of the crises at a pair of Steiner schools in the United Kingdom may be dire. Steiner education as a whole, in the UK and beyond, may be adversely affected. The following is from The Daily Telegraph [London, UK]:

Urgent inspections of Steiner Schools 

ordered by Education Secretary 

in wake of Telegraph investigation

By Camilla Turner

Urgent inspections of Steiner schools have been ordered by the Education Secretary….

Damain Hinds has written to the chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, demanding that Steiner schools — both private and state funded [1] — are subjected to “additional scrutiny” by Ofsted. [2]

The move follows mounting concern from Ofsted about child safety in some Steiner institutions, with two schools threatened with closure by ministers after inspectors discovered serious failures in safeguarding…. [3]

This week, Department for Education (DfE) officials published a memo they sent to the Steiner Academy Exeter, warning that they are “minded” to cut off the school’s funding…. [4]

Last year, the fee-paying Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) was ordered to shut down, following a series of damning inspections which uncovered a raft of safeguarding failings. The school is now appealing the order…. [5]

An investigation by this newspaper revealed how when parents at RSSKL had tried to raise the alarm about safeguarding lapses at the school, they were sent gagging letters…. [6]

Ofsted can only inspect private Steiner schools when commissioned by the Secretary of State to do so. In the past, this has happened where ministers [7] have concerns about a particular institution.

But Mr Hinds has taken the unusual step of asked Ofsted to conduct a “series” of inspections of Steiner schools in England and report directly to him on their findings….

A source close to the Steiner movement said: “There is no point in having Steiner schools if children are not safe in them. There is no point in having beeswax crayons, lots of singing, climbing trees and grinding flour to make bread, if there is not proper safeguarding.”

“There may be elements of Steiner education that Ofsted don’t understand [7=8], but when it comes to safeguarding, Ofsted are way ahead.”

[12/10/2018    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/09/urgent-inspections-steiner-schools-ordered-education-secretary/    This article originally appeared on December 9.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Waldorf or Steiner schools in the UK and in various other countries have typically been private schools, financed primarily though the tuition payments made by the students’ families. But some Waldorf/Steiner schools have been incorporated into state or public school systems — they receive the bulk of their financing from the governments in the lands where they operate.

[2] Ofsted is the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills.

[3] In addition to problems with safeguarding, the two Steiner schools have been found to have many other deficiencies, including poor teaching and poor leadership. [See “S. A. Exeter” and “RSSKL”.]

Children attending Waldorf/Steiner schools can be harmed in various ways. The schools are often badly managed. One result is that ordinary safeguarding precautions may be ignored or inadequately implemented. Moreover, many teachers at Waldorf/Steiner schools are far more interested in the spirit realm than in the ordinary, physical world in which flesh-and-blood humans dwell. This may make the teachers inattentive and distracted. One otherworldly belief held by many Waldorf/Steiner teachers is the doctrine of karma. If a student at a Waldorf/Steiner school is victimized by bullies, the teachers may conclude that enduring the attentions of bullies is the child’s karma and thus must be allowed. Likewise, Waldorf teachers often think that all children have guardian angels. If a child needs protection, her/his angel will handle the matter — adult humans (parents or teachers) need not particularly concern themselves. [For more on these matters, see, e.g., “Who Gets Hurt”, “Karma”, "Slaps", and "Serving the Gods".]

[4] Steiner Academy Exeter is a Steiner free school, what in the US would be called a charter school. The Academy operates as part of the state or public school system, and it receives the bulk of its financing from the government. Students can, therefore, attend the school for free. 

For information about the unfolding drama at Steiner Academy Exeter, see “S. A. Exeter”.

[5] RSSKL is a "fee-paying" school in that it is a private school, financed by the fees paid by students' families.

For information about the travails of Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley and its students, see “RSSKL”.

[6] “Gagging letters” are missives that instruct the recipients to remain silent on certain matters — they attempt to “gag” the recipients.

The Telegraph is one of several UK publications that have made disturbing revelations about Steiner schools in the UK. The use of gagging letters by RSSKL is just one of numerous allegations lodged against the schools.

[7] I.e., members of parliament who are in the Government (they preside over departments or ministries).

[8] The methods, curricula, and objectives of Waldorf/Steiner schools are indeed often difficult for outsiders to comprehend. The schools are rooted in Anthroposophy, a gnostic religion pieced together by the Austrian occultist Rudolf Steiner. [See, e.g., “Here’s the Answer”, “Spiritual Agenda”, “Oh Humanity - The Key to Waldorf”, "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?", “Gnosis”, and “Occultism”.]

— R.R.

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December 9, 2018

TROUBLED STEINER ACADEMY 

NEEDS NEW SPONSOR - Part 4

Continuing coverage of the crisis at Steiner Academy Exeter, this time in DevonLive, a news service focusing on the county of Devon, where Exeter and Steiner Academy Exeter are located:

Exeter's failing Steiner school

could be taken over by an academy

The regional schools commissioner for the South West would like to see the school transferred to a 'strong multi-academy trust that can provide the capacity for continued improvement’

By Anita Merritt

The Steiner Academy in Cowley Bridge Road 

(Image: Jamie Hawkins)

.

.

‘Stormy times’ at Exeter’s failing Steiner School are continuing with a new recommendation for the free school [1] to be moved under the control of a “strong” multi-academy trust. [2]

An Ofsted inspection [3] has highlighted shocking failures in leadership, teaching standards and the safety of pupils at Steiner Academy Exeter….

The Department for Education (DfE) has now followed its earlier "minded to terminate" letter with a Termination Warning Notice…. [4]

The [notice] states the DfE will help the school find such a trust, and in the meantime that the school will work with the nearby Ted Wragg MAT (TWMAT) which will "support its leadership team to secure improvement”…. [5]

The Ofsted report uncovered a catalogue of failings at the school including leadership being 'dysfunctional at every level', Kindergarten pupils being physically restrained by teachers and a lack of support for vulnerable children.

Other concerns raised by the watchdog include teachers being subjected to regular physical assaults by pupils, the needs of children with special educational needs not being met [6] and a lack of evidence that safeguarding checks have been made when employing new members of staff. [7]

The school hit the headlines earlier this year when two six-year-old pupils walked out of the school unnoticed during lessons in July, and a safeguarding investigation was launched.

In a recent school letter, acting principal Paul Hougham said: "These are clearly stormy times for the school, and those conversations certainly reinforced my passion for flying out of these storms with strength”….

[12/8/2018    https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/exeters-failing-steiner-school-could-2304184    This article originally appeared on December 7.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Steiner Academy Exeter is a "free school" — what in the US would be called a charter school. Free schools receive government financing, but they are largely able to implement its own curricula and methodologies so long as they meet certain basic educational standards. Because free schools are technically part of the state or public school system, attendance at them is free (students and their parents are not charged tuition payments).

[2] The continued existence of Steiner Academy Exeter may depend on the willingness of a qualified trust to adopt the school. If no such trust is found, Steiner Academy Exeter may be forced to close.

[3] Ofsted is the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education. Ofsted inspects schools that have been flagged as potentially deficient.

[4] There are six types of warning notices that may be sent to UK academies. [See https://schoolsweek.co.uk/what-are-warning-notices-and-how-do-they-work/.] A Termination Warning Notice is the fourth type, indicating a high level of concern. It may be followed by a Notice of Intention to Terminate and, eventually, by a Termination Notice. At that point — when the sixth and highest form of warning notice is sent to a school — the government orders the school to close.

[5] The Ted Wragg Trust is small and local — it focuses on schools in the city of Exeter. Presumably a larger, more capable trust is now being sought. “MAT” stands for multi-academy trust (i.e., a trust that oversees seveal schools or academies). “TWMAT” stands for the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust. 

Ted Wragg was a well-known professor at Exeter University. “Professor Ted Wragg, who has died aged 67, was the most popular educationist in Britain. He was director of the school of education at Exeter University for 25 years.” — The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/nov/11/guardianobituaries.pressandpublishing].

[6] These children are sometimes referred to under the acronym “SEND” — students having special educational needs or deficits.

[7] Reports indicated that the school often hired teachers who were known to the faculty rather than applicants who possessed the best qualifications and had been thoroughly vetted. Generally, this led to the hiring of friends or committed members of the Waldorf movement, not applicants who were well-qualified by ordinary educational standards or whose records indicated they could be entrusted with the safety of children.

For previous coverage of the situation at Steiner Academy Exeter, see “S. A. Exeter”.  

— R.R.

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December 8, 2018

TROUBLED STEINER ACADEMY  

NEEDS NEW SPONSOR - Part 3 

News stemming from the near-collapse of the Steiner Academy Exter continues to be reported in the United Kingdom. Here are excerpts from two additional news articles.

From Education Executive [London, UK]:

MAT will take over 

Steiner school following 

damning Ofsted report 

A state Steiner school will be taken over by an MAT [1] following an ‘inadequate’ rating from Ofsted [2], according to The Guardian. [3]

Safeguarding [4] and lack of support for SEND children [5] were highlighted as particular issues within the Devon school….

The Ofsted report mentioned that ‘significant lapses in safeguarding practice continue to put pupils at risk.’

It also [said that] all leadership across the school was ‘dysfunctional’, and that SEND pupils were disproportionately excluded from school.

The teaching was also criticised. The report continued: ‘Leaders have failed to shape a curriculum that combines the Steiner approach with the requisite academic learning that pupils need to succeed in their studies.’

Steiner schools remain controversial in the UK, due to the spiritual basis of the education…. [6]

[12/8/2018    https://edexec.co.uk/mat-will-take-over-steiner-school-following-damning-ofsted-report/     This article originally appeared on December 7.]

From The Guardian [London, UK]:

'Inadequate' Steiner school 

to be taken over by academy chain

State-funded Steiner Academy Exeter is seeking 

a new sponsor after damning Ofsted report

[by] Sally Weale

A state-funded Steiner school in Devon is to be transferred to a multi-academy trust after the schools watchdog [7] said it was inadequate….

The academy is one of a small number of Steiner schools set up as a result of the government’s controversial free school policy and paid for by public funds. [8] Other Steiner schools in the UK are privately funded…. [9]

Steiner education is based on the teachings of Austria-born Rudolf Steiner who developed a spiritual philosophy called anthroposophy and remains highly controversial in the UK, with organisations including the British Humanist Association [10] vehemently opposed to state funding for such schools….

The acting principal of the Steiner Academy Exeter, Paul Hougham, said…“[T]he school will be formally rebrokered, which means that the regional schools commissioner [11] will be inviting tenders from existing multi-academy trusts who are interested in adopting the school within their fold…..” [12]

[12/8/2018    https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/dec/06/inadequate-steiner-school-to-be-taken-over-by-academy-chain    This article originally appeared on December 6.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] In the United Kingdom, a "MAT" is a multi-academy trust, an organization that assumes control over two or more schools. The trust aims to improve the schools and then to maintain high educational standards at those schools. All the schools in a MAT are answerable to a single board of trustees and, through that board, to the UK government's Department for Education. There are hundreds of MATs in the UK, some considerably larger than others.

[2] Ofsted is the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills.

[3] Formerly known as The Manchester Guardian, The Guardian is a large, general-purpose, daily newspaper. [See the excerpted article from The Guardian, below.]

[4] I.e., ensuring the safety of the children at the school.

[5] “SEND children” are students who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

[6] Steiner schools — also called Waldorf schools — are rooted in Rudolf Steiner's spiritual system, the religion called Anthroposophy. [See "Here's the Answer", "Schools as Churches", and "Oh Humanity".]

[7] I.e., Ofsted.

[8] “Free schools” in the UK are similar to charter schools in the USA. Free schools receive government funding, but they are largely able to implement its own curricula and methodologies so long as they meet certain basic educational standards. The free school system was established by a Conservative British government, against the opposition of many liberal supporters of the existing state school system. [See, e.g., "Coming Undone".] Steiner free schools have been especially controversial because of their attachment to Anthroposophy.

[9] Most Steiner schools in the UK, as in various other countries including the USA, are private schools financed primarily through the tuition paid by students' families.

[10] See https://humanism.org.uk and https://faithschoolersanonymous.uk/category/steiner-schools/.

[11] I.e., the education official having general authority over the schools in a geographic region.

[12] The fate of Steiner Academy Exeter may thus hinge on whether any MAT is interested in adopting the school.

For previous coverage of the situation at Steiner Academy Exeter, see “S. A. Exeter.  

— R.R.

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December 7, 2018

TROUBLED STEINER ACADEMY 

NEEDS NEW SPONSOR (CONT.)

An article in Tes (formerly the Times Educational Supplement, published in London, UK) provides additional information about the current crisis at Steiner Academy Exeter:

Failing Steiner school 

to be moved to new trust

DfE set to withdraw funding from school which 'failed to ensure safety of pupils’

By Dave Speck

A Steiner free school which was judged to be “inadequate” by Ofsted [1] is to be moved under the control of a “strong” multi-academy trust, the DfE [2] has said.

As reported in Tes, Steiner Academy Exeter was temporarily shut following an Ofsted inspection in October, which raised concerns about safeguarding, governance and provision for children with special educational needs.

The DfE has now followed its earlier "minded to terminate" letter with a Termination Warning Notice [3]….

On its website, the Steiner Academy Exeter describes itself as being at "the cutting edge of delivering the Steiner Waldorf curriculum in the state-funded sector”. [4]

The Ofsted report identified a number of problems including that school leaders had “failed to ensure the safety and well-being of pupils” and that “leadership is dysfunctional at all levels of the school.”

Writing in the school’s newsletter last week, acting principal Paul Hougham said a high volume of email traffic and conversations of concern had followed from some parents' “lack of trust in the recent quality of education” and the “shock” of the Ofsted report.

But he said: “With support from both Ted Wragg Trust and Babcock LDP...alongside Steiner Waldorf educationalists, we are already well on the way to establishing shared benchmarks of excellence [5]….”

[12/7/2018    https://www.tes.com/news/failing-steiner-school-be-moved-new-trust    This article originally appeared on December 6.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Ofsted is the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills.

[2] DfE is the UK government’s Office for Education.

[3] There are six types of warning notices that may be sent to UK academies. [See https://schoolsweek.co.uk/what-are-warning-notices-and-how-do-they-work/.] A Termination Warning Notice is the fourth type, indicating a high level of concern. It may be followed by a Notice of Intention to Terminate and, eventually, by a Termination Notice. At that point — when the sixth and highest form of warning notice is sent to a school — the government orders the school to close.

[4] Steiner Academy Exeter is a “free school” — similar to a charter school in the USA. The Academy receives government funding, but it is largely able to implement its own curriculum and methodology. Thus, Steiner Academy Exeter delivers "the Steiner Waldorf curriculum."

[5] Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley [see “RSSKL”], which resisted guidance and warnings from UK education authorities, was eventually ordered to close. Perhaps learning from that school’s experiences, Steiner Academy Exeter is evidently attempting to cooperate with the authorities in order to avoid a final closure order (a Termination Notice).

The Ted Wragg Trust is an educational initiative that attempts to improve education in and around the city of Exeter. Babcock LDP is part of an education support and improvement service; it focuses on schools in the county of Devon. Steiner Waldorf educationalists are Steiner teachers and teacher-trainers. Steiner Academy Exeter has said it is working with each of these services and groups. UK education authorities are now evidently looked for a more capable trust to take charge of the Academy in an effort to correct the Academy's shortcomings.

For previous coverage of the situation at Steiner Academy Exeter, see “S. A. Exeter”.  

— R.R.

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.December 6, 2018

TROUBLED STEINER ACADEMY 

NEEDS NEW SPONSOR 

The following is from Schools Week [United Kingdom]. I have added some explanatory footnotes:

‘Inadequate’ Steiner free school

faces rebrokerage over pupil safety

[by] Freddie Whittacker

A Steiner free school [1] in Devon that failed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its pupils and “disproportionately” excluded those with special educational needs now faces being rebrokered to a new sponsor [2] following a damning Ofsted report. [3]

Steiner Academy Exeter, one of a handful of state schools in England where learning is based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, has received a termination warning notice [4] from Lisa Mannall, the regional schools commissioner for the south west of England.

The warning follows the release of a damning report by Ofsted, which branded the school “inadequate” and warned of “significant lapses” in safeguarding practice, dysfunctional leadership at all levels of the school and a failure to identify and support SEND pupils. [5]

Inspectors also criticised inadequate teaching and low attendance, particularly among SEND pupils, and said governors “failed in their duty of care” to both adults and pupils. Governors, inspectors said, have “failed to take swift action to address known safety issues”…. [6]

Mannall said she was issuing the warning notice, sent on November 23 but published today, because “I do not have confidence that the trust [7] is able to rapidly and sustainably improve the academy’s systems of governance and management, and educational standards”.

The commissioner’s team will work with the trust’s new leadership to “identify a trust that can provide for the needs of the school and its pupils”....

[12/6/2018    https://schoolsweek.co.uk/inadequate-steiner-free-school-faces-rebrokerage-over-pupil-safety/]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] In the UK, a “free school” is similar to a “charter school” in the US — it is a privately run school that receives the bulk of its funding from the government. The school establishes its own curriculum and procedures, but it is overseen by the government’s education authorities and it may be held to standards set by these authorities. Because a free school functions, in effect, as part of the public or state school system, children may attend for free (hence the term, “free school”).

[2] A free school's initial “sponsor” is the organization that proposes and then operates the school. If a free school is “rebrokered,” the sponsor is discharged and a new sponsor is selected. Generally, this is done only when serious problems are found at the school and the existing sponsor is deemed unable or unwilling to correct these problems. In the UK, free schools (in particular, academies) are often operated under a board of trustees that takes responsibility for two or more schools. The resulting organizations are called "multi-academy trusts" (MAT's).

[3] Ofsted is the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. It inspects various schools, including state schools and some independent schools. Ofsted reports to Parliament.

[4] The government may shut down or terminate any school found to have severe, evidently intractable problems. Short of issuing a termination notice, education authorities may issue a warning notice, indicating that a termination notice may follow.

[5] “SEND pupils” are students who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

[6] The school's inadequate safeguarding of its students has, understandably, received the most media attention. However, Ofsted has found the school deficient in many other ways, ranging from poor teaching to poor management.

[7] I.e., the Ted Wragg Trust, an educational initiative that attempts to improve education in and around Exeter. The Trust had been charged with attempting to resolve the problems at Steiner Academy Exeter.

For previous Waldorf Watch coverage of the situation at Steiner Academy Exeter, see “S. A. Exeter”.

For coverage of similar situation at another Steiner school in the UK — one that the government ordered to close — see “RSSKL”.

— R.R.

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December 5, 2018

ENCHANTMENTS LEADING 

TOWARD WALDORF 

From The Times of India:

Majestic fairytale 

mesmerises Jaipurites 

at JKK

A musical fairytale — ‘Peter and the Wolf’ by Sergei Prokofjew [sic], performed by Swiss group ‘Light Eurythmy Ensemble’, mesmerised the audience at the Jawahar Kala Kendra [an arts centre in Jaipur, India] on Tuesday. A combination of bright lights, enchanting music of piano and violin, dramatic narration and majestic performance of the artistes created a magical environment.…

The story revolved around Peter and his quest to catch the great grey wolf. The rhythmic moves in eurythmy was a treat for the eyes….

It is to be noted that eurythmy is an expressive movement art originated by Rudolf Steiner….

[A] special [performance] was also staged for school children. As many as 250 students from various schools witnessed the performance.…

[12/5/2018    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/majestic-fairytale-mesemerises-jaipurites-at-jkk/articleshow/66951235.cms]

Eurythmy

[The Times of India, Shalini Maheshwari/BCCL,

detail]

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Waldorf Watch Response:

Rudolf Steiner’s followers make concerted efforts to spread his belief system, Anthroposophy. In recent years, many of these efforts have been focused on Asian countries, including India. The Light Eurythmy Ensemble is a touring dance group that presents one of the more pleasing faces of Anthroposophy: eurythmy, the colorful form of dance devised by Steiner.

Like much of Anthroposophy, eurythmy is unknown to most audiences in the East and, indeed, in the West. Essentially, eurythmy (yur-ith-me) is an enactment, in physical movement, of Steiner’s spiritual affirmations. It is Anthroposophical temple dancing. Performed in stately, highly stylized motions by dancers who are often garbed in flowing, pastel-shaded robes, eurythmy is intended to bring the dancers and the audience into immediate contact with the spirit realm.

"Eurythmy shapes and moves the human organism in a way that furnishes direct external proof of our participation in the supersensible [i.e., supernatural] world. In having people do eurythmy, we link them directly to the supersensible world." — Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 247.

In most Waldorf schools, eurythmy is a required activity for all students.

"Eurythmy is obligatory. The children must participate. Those who do not participate in eurythmy will be removed from the school.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 65.

The Light Eurythmy Ensemble often stages dance interpretations of unobjectionable, classical materials, such as Peter and the Wolf. The goal is to attract newcomers to Waldorf/Steiner culture with its colorful art forms. Individuals who find eurythmic performances attractive may be lured into at least the outer precincts of Waldorf/Steiner mysticism.

Like most embodiments of Anthroposophy, eurythmy is laced through with astrology, occultism, and esotericism. Eurythmy is meant to be a reenactment of the creative activities of the gods. It is meant to be a representation of logos, the inner meaning of human and godly speech. It is meant to body forth the divinities dwelling upon the stars and planets. It is temple dancing.

◊ "The human form is the result of divine eurythmy. Every art may be traced back to its divine source: but because eurythmy makes use of the human being as its instrument it enables us to see most deeply into the connection between the human being and the universe." — EURYTHMY AS VISIBLE SPEECH (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1984), p. 13 - lecture synopsis.

◊ "[W]e pass over to movements representing the possibilities of inner activity, movements which have their origin in the planets … [T]he consonants have their source in the Zodiac; the vowels in the dance of the planets. A cosmic activity may be brought to expression by means of human gesture and movement. The word of the heavens is really the being of man. By means of an imitation of the dance of the stars, discovered through spiritual knowledge [i.e., Anthroposophy], we have the possibility of renewing in eurythmy the temple dancing of ancient Mysteries." — EURYTHMY AS VISIBLE SPEECH (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1984), p. 18 - lecture synopsis.

[For more on these matters, see "Eurythmy", "Magical Arts", and, e.g., "Logos".]

— R.R.

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December 4, 2018

FOUR KINDS OF KIDS 

AT WALDORF 

Currently featured — and on sale — at the Waldorf Publications website:

THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS

by Helmut Eller & Cynthia Eller 

[Waldorf Publications, 2018]

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Waldorf education is based on many antiquated beliefs, outdated and baseless. Belief in the four temperaments is one prominent example.

According to an ancient Greek concept revived by Rudolf Steiner, there are four primary psychological types found among human beings: phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine, and melancholic. These four temperaments are supposedly associated with bodily fluids or humours as conceived by ancient physicians: phlegm, yellow bile (or choler), blood, and black bile. Moreover, the temperaments are expressed in four basic bodily types. In Waldorf belief, phlegmatic individuals are dull, slow, deliberate, and objective, and they tend to be fat; choleric individuals have short tempers, they are abrupt and enthusiastic, and they tend to be short and bull-necked; sanguine individuals are sunny and physically attractive, but they also are often shallow and flighty; melancholic individuals are sad and moody much of the time, they are loners but empathetic, and they tend to be big-boned.

Amazingly, Waldorf schools often organize themselves on the basis of these four false stereotypes. Even at the basic level of seating assignments in class, Waldorf teachers are urged to make their decisions based on these stereotypes. So, for instance, in the new Waldorf book THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS — written by a Waldorf teacher — we find this:

"Rudolf Steiner emphasized how important it is to seat children in class according to their temperaments. But which temperaments are appropriate to seat together so they will have a positive influence on each other? We might think spontaneously of contrasting temperaments, for example seating a choleric child next to a phlegmatic one. Will the choleric child be able to harmonize her excessive temperament through him? Will she be able to gradually overcome it, to ‘wear it down,’ so to speak? ... [T]he choleric student can get upset about the character traits of her neighbor … But when she sits next to someone with the same temperament, something special happens, and this holds true for all four temperaments. It happens that she sees herself in the temperament of the other; she is confronted with herself, unconsciously recognizes herself and dislikes her own characteristics that she sees in the other … Now we can understand Rudolf Steiner’s suggestions to seat children with the same temperaments new to each other in class." — Helmut Eller, THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS (Waldorf Publications, 2018), pp. 86-90.

All of this might almost make sense, if the four classical temperaments were real. But they are not. They are an ancient hypothesis, nothing more. Of course, children do differ from one another, and we might identify some of these differences as matters of temperament. But the simplistic, tight Waldorf schema — sorting children into four boxes — has no basis in modern psychological understanding. Even when Waldorf teachers try to be subtle about temperament, deciding that a child is mostly choleric but also has traces of the phlegmatic, for instance — even then, the teachers are working with false and potentially harmful stereotypes.

In Waldorf schools, more than seating charts are based on these stereotypes. Indeed, Waldorf teachers are encouraged to adjust their teaching methods based on the kids' imagined temperaments, for instance by giving different assignments to kids of the four different types. The effect can be both discriminatory and destructive. Do you agree, for instance, that a child should be led to “dislike her own characteristics”? This is one presumptive benefit of segregating kids based on temperament, as Waldorf teacher Helmut Eller has explained, above. Choleric children (if such a category really existed) should certainly learn to control their tempers. But, to be realistic for a moment, so should all children. Creating a special category of choleric students, and hanging a label on them, is wrong. And it is doubly so if you arrange a situation designed to cause kids to dislike themselves. Bear in mind, the Waldorf approach is meant to teach all children to dislike their own characteristics, the sanguine as well as the choleric, the melancholic as much as the phlegmatic.

Waldorf education is sometimes called progressive. But this is a serious misunderstanding. Waldorf approaches are generally rooted in ancient errors and fallacies. Waldorf education is fundamentally backward.

[For more on Waldorf beliefs and practices having to do with the four temperaments, see "Humouresque" and "Temperaments". For more on the Waldorf infatuation with ancient beliefs, see "The Ancients".]

— R.R.

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December 2, 2018

STEINER AND THE STARS — 

WALDORF'S COSMOS 

For the last several years, SteinerBooks has released a series of astrology texts called Journals for Star Wisdom. The latest addition to the series is now available, under a new title:

COSMOLOGY REBORN

Star Wisdom, Volume 1

With Monthly Ephemerides and Commentary for 2019

[Lindisfarne Books (an imprint of SteinerBooks), 2018]

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From the publisher:

The Star Wisdom series (previously Journal for Star Wisdom) includes articles of interest on star wisdom [1]…as well as a guide to the correspondences between stellar configurations [2] during the life of Christ [3] and those of today. This guide comprises a complete sidereal ephemeris [4] and aspectarian, geocentric and heliocentric [5], for each day throughout the year….

According to Rudolf Steiner, every step taken by Christ during his ministry between the baptism in the Jordan and the resurrection was in harmony with — and an expression of — the cosmos. Star Wisdom is concerned with these heavenly correspondences during the life of Christ and is intended to help provide a foundation for cosmic Christianity, the cosmic dimension of Christianity. [6] It is this dimension that, by and large, has been missing until now from Christianity and its the [sic] 2,000-year history. [7]

Readers can begin on this path by contemplating the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets against the background of the zodiacal constellations (sidereal signs) today in relation to corresponding stellar events during the life of Christ.…

[12/2/2018     https://steiner.presswarehouse.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=558677]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Astrology is woven throughout the Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy. [8] Rudolf Steiner warned his followers not to fall for ordinary astrology as practiced, for instance, by fortune tellers. But he insisted that a true form of astrology has long existed, and it can be consulted by spiritual aspirants who embrace Steiner’s teachings.

Here are a few of Steiner’s assertions about true astrology:

◊ “[T]he old, real, and genuine Astrology expresses itself in the destinies of men.” — Rudolf Steiner, ROSICRUCIANISM AND MODERN INITIATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1965), lecture 3, GA 233a.

◊ "The truth underlying the casting of a horoscope is that those who know these things can read the forces which determine a person's physical existence.” — Rudolf Steiner, SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OF MAN AND HUMANITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1970), lecture 3.

◊ “For as what man is today stands written in the heavenly spaces in the writing of the constellations of the stars, so stands written there too what is yet to happen with him. This is the ground of true astrology. You will see at once, from what we have been considering, that you really only need to know occultism [9] and you have at the same time the root principle of astrology.” — Rudolf Steiner, MAN IN THE LIGHT OF OCCULTISM, THEOSOPHY AND PHILOSOPHY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1964), lecture 9, GA 137.

In class, Waldorf teachers rarely press the “truths” of astrology on their students. But belief in “true astrology” is integral to many Waldorf concepts and practices. The following footnotes should help illuminate this strange reality.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] “Star wisdom” — the occult wisdom that allegedly can be read from the stars — is “astrology” or “astrosophy.” Both terms essentially mean wisdom derived from the stars. [See “Astrology” and “Astrosophy”.]  Cosmology is the science of the origin and evolution of the cosmos, the universe. “Reborn cosmology” is this science altered by the addition of astrological beliefs and other unscientific teachings.

[2] These are the constellations seen in the sky — the apparent (and illusory) patterns that the stars seem to form.

[3] In Anthroposophy, Christ is the Sun God. [See "Sun God".] Steiner taught that the Sun God incarnated on Earth in the body of a human being named Jesus. [See "Was He Christian?"]

[4] I.e., a table giving the calculated locations of the stars at various times during the year.

[5] I.e, a chronological list of the “aspects” of celestial objects — their angular locations in the sky as seen from a specific location. Heliocentric descriptions ascribe centrality to the Sun; geocentric descriptions ascribe centrality to the Earth.

[6] Steiner and his followers profess to modify or correct Christianity in various ways. Thus, for instance, they incorporate teachings from Hinduism (such as karma and reincarnation). They also incorporate astrological teachings, thus producing “cosmic” Chritianity.

[7] Some of Steiner’s most important “corrections” of Christianity appear in his lectures published under the title “The Fifth Gospel.” [See "Steiner's Fifth Gospel".]

[8] For more on Waldorf astrology, see, e.g., "Star Power", "Horoscopes", and "Waldorf Astology". For more on Anthroposophy, see, e.g., "Everything" and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?". 

[9] "Occultism," as Steiner used the term, is essentially synonymous with "spiritual science" and/or Anthroposophy. [See "Occultism".] Steiner's most important book, laying out his central teachings, is titled An OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE. [See, again, "Everything".]

— R.R.

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December 1, 2018

WITH APOLOGIES: 

MORE ON EPIDEMICS 

Repercussions from the chickenpox outbreak at a Waldorf school in North Carolina, USA, continue to ripple outward. The disease itself has apparently afflicted at least one additional student at the school, and it has spread to other individuals in the vicinity of the school. The outbreak has threatened the population at large, not just the unvaccinated students at the school.

Meanwhile, other schools and institutions — some located far from North Carolina — are taking the lessons of the outbreak to heart. Determined not to repeat the errors exposed so graphically at the Asheville Waldorf School, they are insisting that students be vaccinated against communicable diseases.

Here are two news articles touching on these matters.

From The Merced Sun-Star [California, USA]:

North Carolina chickenpox outbreak 

spreads outside school

The Associated Press

The largest outbreak of chickenpox in North Carolina since the vaccine was introduced in 1995 has spread outside the school where it was first reported.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that four people in the community have joined the 37 Asheville Waldorf School students who have contracted chickenpox since last month.

Buncombe County health department spokeswoman Stacey Wood says the most recent onset of rash was Monday. She wouldn't say whether the four cases outside the school were in parents or friends of sickened students.

More than 100 of the school's 152 students were unvaccinated and thus quarantined for three weeks. A judge struck down a portion of the quarantine order, ruling the county had the authority to keep children out of school but couldn't prevent them from leaving home.

[12/1/2018   https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/article222432480.html   This story originally appeared on November 30. Carried by the Associated Press, it presumably has been picked up by other newspapers and media outlets in the AP network.]

From World Religion News [California, USA]:

JEWISH OHIO SCHOOL WILL IS NO LONGER 

ALLOWING RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AS 

AN EXCUSE NOT TO VACCINATE

[By] Kelly Frazier

HEBREW ACADEMY OF CLEVELAND NOTIFIES PARENTS REGARDING CHANGE IN VACCINATION EXEMPTION

The Hebrew Academy of Cleveland [Ohio] sent a notice to parents informing them that religion is no longer a reason for exclusion from vaccinations. The decision from the school comes after reports of increased measles and chickenpox cases in New York County and North Carolina respectively.

Recently, Asheville Waldorf School in North Carolina experienced a chickenpox outbreak, as 36 children fell ill from varicella zoster virus. It was the first time since the last two decades that the state suffered such a large number of chickenpox cases. According to the school, out of 152 students, only 42 of them received the vaccination for the disease.

Similarly, the nation also has to deal with the spread of measles, which has affected 220 people all over the country. The increase in measles outbreaks continues to rise for the past two years. Ocean County, New Jersey, is also reporting an increase in this disease, as the number of cases reached 15.

Cleveland Clinic’s medical practitioner, Dr. Baruch Fertel, commented about the situation. He believes there are no credible scientific sources which indicate parents should stop vaccinating their children.…

[12/1/2018   https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/jewish-ohio-school-will-no-longer-allowing-religious-beliefs-excuse-not-vaccinate   This story originally appeared on November 29. Although originating in California, World Religion News presumably reaches readers far and wide.]

The chickenpox mini-epidemic at the Asheville Waldorf School has evidently attracted more media attention than any other Waldorf-centered story in recent memory. It is "big news" — and it is terrible publicity for the Waldorf movement.

Readers of Waldorf Watch News may understandably be growing weary of accounts relaying, or drawing lessons from, the situation at Asheville Waldorf. But the worldwide interest in that situation is, itself, newsworthy. We have little option, here, but to take note of the many articles that have arisen from the drama in and around Asheville Waldorf.

For previous Waldorf Watch coverage of the situation at the Asheville Waldorf School, see reports on November 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, and 18, 20, 22, 23, 26, 28, 29, and 30.

— R.R.

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