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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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June, 2019

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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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June 29, 2018

MORE STEINER SCHOOLS 

ORDERED TO SHAPE UP 

The crisis for Steiner schools in the United Kingdom continues [1]. Inspectors have found deficiencies at numerous UK Steiner schools, which are consequently under pressure to improve or face the prospect of being shut down [2].

Now TES (formerly the Times Education Supplement) reports that two more Steiner schools have been warned that they must improve, and soon.

Two more Steiner schools 

warned to improve 

Steiner schools in Brighton and Leeds must 

complete improvement plans by early August, 

says the DfE [3]

By Mark Smulian

Two more Steiner schools have been given warning notices by the Department for Education telling them to implement improvement action plans by early August.

Letters went to the Beechtree Steiner Initiative, in Leeds, and the Brighton Waldorf School ordering them to submit action plans [4]... 

Both [schools] were earlier this year found by Ofsted [5] to have serious regulatory failings.

Beechtree Steiner Initiative was found...not meet all of the independent school standards checked, while Brighton Waldorf School was judged "inadequate" or to "require improvement" [6] on every performance measure except early years [7], which was rated "good" [8]...

Both schools were warned that if they failed they could be removed from the Register of Independent Schools [9] or have their operations restricted. Both were also liable to a further check on progress by Ofsted...

Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman...said then that with the exception of the Steiner Academy Hereford, there were shortcomings in the quality of teaching and outcomes for all pupils across all inspections [10] Ofsted carried out.

[6/29/2019    https://www.tes.com/news/two-more-steiner-schools-warned-improve    This story originally appeared on June 28.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "Steiner School Crisis".

[2] For a recent summary provided by an Anthroposophical news agency (a summary that does not include the latest warnings), see http://www.nna-news.org/news/article/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2754&cHash=40e61d9b952c7ce4bb45dee4bf456e21. The Rudolf Steiner school in Kings Langley has already been shuttered, although proponents are fighting to reconstitute the school in some form. Meanwhile, Michael House School, in Shipley, has announced its closure.

[3] DfE is the UK government's Department for Education.

[4] An action plan, in this context, is a detailed strategy for improving an underperforming school. 

[5] Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education.

[6] These are the two lowest evaluations issued by Ofsted. "Inadequate" is a failing grade (equivalent to an F), and "Requires Improvement" is a very low passing grade (equivalent to a D or C-).

[7] I.e., the provisions made for the youngest students (those in their early years or in the earliest classes).

[8] "Good" is a passing grade, equivalent to a B. (The highest grade issued by Ofsted, equivalent to an A, is "Outstanding." None of the Steiner schools inspected received the highest grade.)

[9] Independent or private schools in the UK must be registered with the government. A schools that is removed from the Registry must close.

[10] I.e., all inspections of Steiner schools.

— R.R.

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 .June 28, 2019 

TROUBLINGLY, AGAIN, 

THE ISSUE OF RACISM

A startling — and disturbing — article concerning Waldorf schools has appeared in the French magazine Le Point [Paris, France]. Here are some excerpts, translated into English. I have added a few footnotes of my own: 

A Steiner teacher promotes 

delusional and racist theories 

Charles Le Goff, a teacher at a Steiner-Waldorf school under contract in Essonne, 

runs an occultist and racist channel on YouTube. This is worrisome.

By Thomas Mahler 

"[W]hen I see a young person whose forehead stops here (he indicates a low forehead), I know he will not be able to do the work needed to earn a general baccalaureate degree. Because, if he has only the lower portion of a human forehead, this person has a low intelligence." Mixing esotericism, self-healing techniques and references to Rudolf Steiner (founder of Anthroposophy [1]) or Peter Deunov (theosophist guru who initiated the Universal White Brotherhood [2]), the youtuber "Charles Spirituality" posts numerous bizarre videos … [In one] Charles Spirituality explains that the average African nose belongs to an earthly countenance indicative of a heated, instinctive, primitive people who prize material objects (translation: they are no great intellectuals) [3]. Elsewhere, he asserts that the nose of Arabs or Jews [i.e., Semites] shows, in general, how these people are under the influence of the Moon [4] … The "Mercurian" nose, which is recognizable by its pointed shape, is a marker of intellectual personalities, just like his own [5]...

The man who promotes these racial-esoteric delusions and claims to know whether or not a student has an intelligent physiognomy is named Charles Le Goff. He practices the profession of — teacher. A school teacher, he has been working since September at the Waldorf-Steiner school in Verrières-le-Buisson (Essonne), a school under contract with the State [6]. Charles Le Goff has been an Anthroposophist since 2017, as evidenced by an issue of the bulletin Nouvelles de la Société anthroposophique en France [6]. Contacted, the school informs us by mail that "Mr. Le Goff was hired last September, and during the school year, we discovered his personal opinions … [T]hey are not compatible with the educational objectives of our institution. In fact, the management made the decision to separate from him, and this information was officially communicated to the parents on June 18th ... [I]t was feared that his views would harm the image of Anthroposophy [7], which is currently under the fire of rationalist critics"...

Steiner-Waldorf schools were created by Austrian occultist Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), the father of Anthroposophy ... Rudolf Steiner believed, among other things, that racial groups represent different stages of spiritual evolution [8]. Steiner schools say that Anthroposophy is not taught in their schools [9]. But according to Grégoire Perra, former Anthropologist and Steiner school teacher who has become the fiercest critic of this movement in France, the esoteric and pseudoscientific theories of Steiner are inculcated insidiously in the students [10]...

One of the teachers at the Steiner-Waldorf school in Verrières-le-Buisson, Virginie Macé, has sued Grégoire Perra for an article at his blog where he denounced a class trip [she organized]…to which she invited René Becker, who is none other than the secretary general of the Anthroposophic Society in France. Grégoire Perra is also being sued by the Federation of Schools Steiner-Waldorf. Both trials will be held on July 9 at the District Court of Strasbourg. [11] 

[6/28/2019  https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/un-prof-steiner-fait-la-promotion-de-theories-delirantes-et-racistes-27-06-2019-2321418_23.php.   Translation by Roger Rawlings, relying heavily on DeepL Translator and Google Translate.] 

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See the entries for “Steiner, Rudolf” and “Anthroposophy” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BW/SE). 

[2] “Peter Deunov, also known by his spiritual name Beinsa Douno, and often called the Master by his followers, was a Bulgarian philosopher and spiritual teacher who developed a form of Esoteric Christianity known as the Universal White Brotherhood.” — Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Deunov]. 

[3] Steiner taught that blacks are the least evolved race — they are childish and passionate. [See “Africans” in the BW/SE.] 

[4] Steiner taught that Jehovah, the gods of the Jews, lives on the Moon. Judaism is thus the Moon religion, he said. [See “RS on Jews”. For some of Steiner's teaching about Islam, see "Islam".]

[5] Steiner taught that whites — in particular White Europeans — are the most evolved race. [See “white race” and “Europeans” in the BW/SE”.]

[6] "Currently about 20% of students [in France] are enrolled in private schools. Some of these schools have a special contract with the state under which they receive public subsidies, provided they follow the state curricula and the teachers have the same training and diplomas as those recruited in public schools." — Population Europe, Resource Finder & Archive [https://www.perfar.eu/policy/education/france]. 

[7] I.e., News from the Anthroposophical Society in France. 

[8] The school says Le Goff's views are "not compatible with the educational objectives of our institution." This is fine, as far as it goes. But apparently the school dismissed Le Goff not chiefly because the faculty finds his views repugnant, but because they want to preserve the “image of Anthroposophy.” In other words, their decision may have been more a public relations gambit than a principled repudiation of racism. We must hope that Waldorf faculties today do not harbor racists; we must hope that Waldorf schools today are free of racial prejudice. But the legacy left by Steiner’s racism has been difficult for his followers to escape. At least some of Steiner’s racial teachings apparently remain woven through Anthroposophical thinking today. [See, e.g. “Embedded Racism”.] 

[9] See “Steiner’s Racism”. 

[10] This is, indeed, claim Waldorf schools almost always make. But in reality the schools often convey Anthroposophical beliefs and attitudes to the students in multiple covert ways. [See “Sneaking It In”.] 

[11] See “Indoctrination”. 

[12] Perra is also being sued by a group of Anthroposophical doctors. All of these suits allege that Perra has libeled Anthroposophy, its extensions, and its adherents. Perra prevailed in a previous lawsuit filed by the association of French Waldorf schools. [For coverage of Perra’s current situation, see, e.g., “Fourth lawsuit Filed Against Waldorf Whistle-Blower”, March 30, 2019. For Perra’s account of his successful defense in the previous lawsuit, see “My Life Among the Anthroposophists, Part 3".] Perra has a crowdfunding page, seeking support for his legal defense. [See Soutenir le lanceur d'alerte Grégoire Perra {Support the Whsitle-Blower Grégoire Perra}: https://www.okpal.com/soutenir-le-lanceur-d-alerte-gregoire-perra/#/.]

— R.R.

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 .June 26, 2019

HEALTH EXPERT: 

NOT IF, BUT WHEN 

Recent news reports have indicated that more than half of the students at a Waldorf school in New Mexico are unvaccinated [1]. Similar situations have been reported at other Waldorf schools [2].

Now a letter from a health expert, taking Waldorf schools to task, has appeared in a New Mexico newspaper. The writer, Richard Skolnik, has been a lecturer on health issues at Yale University and George Washington University, and he has been a health director for the World Bank. His publications include the book GLOBAL HEALTH 101, which Amazon identifies at the #1 best seller in preventive medicine [3].

From the Los Alamos Daily Post [New Mexico, USA]:

Letter To The Editor: 

The Waldorf School – 

Putting New Mexico’s Health At Risk

By Richard Skolnik

The low vaccination rates at the Waldorf School in Santa Fe are a public health disaster in the making ... If a student at that school gets measles, it is very likely that other unvaccinated students at the school will get measles. The infected students can then pass measles to others in the community, especially infants too young to be vaccinated [4]...

...The parents of unvaccinated students at the school are not concerned about putting their own children at risk of a disease that can cause serious illness, permanent disability, and death ... In addition, the parents are not concerned that failure to vaccinate their own children can put others...at risk of serious illness, disability, and death [5]...

If a parent fails to put an infant in a car seat, we regard the parent as putting the child in harm’s way ... We do not offer personal and religious exemptions for infant car seat usage [6]...

In the face of such low vaccination rates as those at the Waldorf School, the question for New Mexicans is not if an outbreak will occur, but when it will occur [7]....

[6/26/2019    https://www.ladailypost.com/content/letter-editor-waldorf-school-–-putting-new-mexico’s-health-risk    This letter originally appeared on June 25.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "Over half of Santa Fe Waldorf School students unvaccinated," Albuquerque Journal, June 23, 2019, and "Half of private school's students got vaccination waivers", Houston Chronicle, June 24, 2019.

[2] For previous Waldorf Watch coverage of vaccination issues at Waldorf schools, see, e.g., "Waldorf, Measles, The Times — and Demons", June 13, 2019, and "Waldorf & Measles: Seeking Context", May 30, 2019.

[3] See https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=%22global+health+101%22&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2.

[4] Epidemics can easily occur unless a very high percentage of a population (ideally 95% or higher) is vaccinated. See, e.g., "Communities Need 'Herd Immunity' to Prevent Measles Outbreaks", Mayo Clinic, February, 2015 [https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/communities-need-herd-immunity-to-prevent-measles-outbreaks/]

[5] Waldorf schools usually do not have policies opposing vaccination. The schools often say that the decision on whether to vaccinate children rests with the parents. However, when Waldorf schools fail to require students to be vaccinated, they essentially wink at the anti-vaxx movement, and — as Skolnik argues — they open themselves to the possibility of contagion, which may turn deadly. Most people who contract measles recover without lasting harm, but some will suffer serious complications, and a few will die. "For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it." — Centers for Disease Control [https://www.cdc.gov/measles/downloads/MeaslesDataAndStatsSlideSet.pdf].

[6] I.e., if we require precautions against harm that may befall a single individual (a child who is hurt in a car accident), we should require precautions against harm that may befall an entire population (such as an epidemic sweeping through a school and its surrounding community).

[7] Epidemics of various sorts have occurred in Waldorf schools here and there, from time to time. So, for instance, a chickenpox epidemic spread through a Waldorf school in North Carolina last year. [See "Chickenpox in Asheville".]

— R.R.

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 .June 24, 2019

A WALDORF REP 

ANSWERS THE TIMES 

Responding to a critical story about Waldorf schools that appeared recently in The New York Times [1], a Waldorf representative has sent a letter to the Times' editor. Here it is, along with some footnotes I have appended:

Waldorf Schools: ‘Not Anti-Vaccine’

A Waldorf official responds to an article about the large number of unvaccinated children in its schools.

On behalf of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America [2], I would like to offer a broader perspective on Waldorf education, whose approach to child development, social-emotional health and academic achievement is continuously supported by contemporary research [3].

First, Waldorf schools believe that scientific advancement is critical to a flourishing society [4]. Our association is not anti-vaccine and our views do not align with the anti-vaccine movement. The majority of students in Waldorf schools across North America are immunized [5].

Second, Waldorf education does not cater primarily to children of the elite. Waldorf schools strive to serve children from a broad range of class and racial backgrounds and family compositions. Schools in the United States offer financial support or scaled tuition in order to make Waldorf education accessible [6].

In relation to the education program, our approach is responsive to a changing world and is continuously affirmed by research. Waldorf alumni stand in the world as Nobel laureates, engineers, artists and individuals who are willing to take intellectual risks and carry high ethical principles [7].

Beverly Amico

Longmont, Colo.

[6/24/2019   https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/opinion/letters/waldorf-schools-vaccine.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share    This letter originally appeared on June 23.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See “Bastion of Anti-Vaccine Fervor: Progressive Waldorf Schools”, The New York Times, June 13, 2019. For Waldorf Watch coverage of The Times' coverage, see "Waldorf, Measles, The Times — and Demons", June 13, 2019.

[2] Often referred to as AWSNA, this is the umbrella organization for Waldorf schools in North America. [See https://www.waldorfeducation.org/awsna.] Beverly Amico is executive director of AWSNA.

[3] Such "research" tends to be sketchy and, in many cases, partisan. Too often, its purpose is to find any and all arguments that might possibly support — or seem to support — the Waldorf approach. See the productions, for instance, of the Waldorf Research Institute, a distinctly Anthroposophical — and pro-Waldorf — enterprise [https://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org].

[4] The "science" endorsed in the Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy, is essentially Anthroposophy itself. Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner was also the founder of Anthroposophy, which he labeled a "spiritual science." Steiner's view of ordinary, real science (physics, chemistry, and the like) was often caustic; a distinct strain of anti-scientific bias runs through Anthroposophical discourse and is often reflected in Waldorf schooling. [See, e.g., "Science" and "Steiner's 'Science'".]

[5] It is true that Waldorf schools rarely if ever have official policies opposing vaccination. But, unofficially, the Waldorf community is often leery of — or adamantly opposed to — vaccination. Waldorf schools are often identified as having extremely high numbers of unvaccinated students. [See. e.g., "Waldorf and Measles: Seeking Context", May 30, 2019, and "Waldorf, Measles, and the Big Apple", May 12, 2019.]

[6] This is true, more or less. But most Waldorf schools are private institutions that charge tuition fees that are beyond the reach of most low-income families. Many Waldorf graduates, such as myself, attended Waldorf schools where the students often came from highly affluent backgrounds, and the overwhelming majority of us were white. As recent articles in The Times and elsewhere have suggested, these conditions may still prevail in many Waldorf schools, despite efforts by Waldorf schools to become more inclusive. (Anthroposophical teachings about race are one of the most troubling legacies created by Rudolf Steiner. [See "Steiner's Racism".])

[7] Some Waldorf graduates have indeed done well in their careers and lives. But, then, graduates of all sorts of schools (including very inferior schools) sometimes shine. Accounting for individuals' success in life can be difficult — many factors are involved, including family influences and innate capacities. Then, too, it must be admitted that most Waldorf graduates — like most graduates of any and all schools — are by no means the paragons described by Ms. Amico (Nobel laureates, et al). Some Waldorf grads struggle mightily to find their way in the real world they confront after leaving the ethereal, escapist Waldorf milieau. Waldorf education may prepare students for future lives as Anthroposophists, but too often it does not prepare them for much else. [See, e.g., "Academic Standards at Waldorf", the section "Waldorf Graduates" on the page "Upside", and "Indoctrination".]

— R.R.

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 .June 22, 2019

SEEKING SILVER 

AMID THE GLOOM

The Anthroposophical news service NNA — Nexus News Agency — has posted an article about the current travails of Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK). While suggesting that some good may emerge from the crisis, the article strives to present a reasonably balanced, accurate account of the events that have transpired thus far.

Every cloud has a silver lining – 

the future of Steiner Schools in England

By Sylvie Sklan

As the school year draws to a close, it is a good time to take stock of the situation regarding the English Steiner schools. The bright light of the schools inspectorate Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) has been scrutinising all of the schools in England [1] over the past months and now many of them find themselves having to confront an unfavourable judgment...

This whole episode began in November 2018 with an Ofsted inspection of the Steiner Academy Exeter [2]. Academies are publicly funded independent schools which can follow their own curriculum [3]. Inspectors were alarmed by what they found and this resulted in the school being closed for a few days...

There was an explosion of media interest ... It didn’t take long for inspectors to turn up unannounced at the three other Steiner academies, as well as at five independent Steiner schools [4]. The outcome was that a further four schools (two academies and two independent schools) were judged “inadequate” and three “require improvement” [5]. Only one school (Steiner Academy Hereford) was judged “good” [6].

This sudden spate of inspections caused serious alarm [7]. There was much speculation about whether the anti-Waldorf lobby [8] had had a hand in what some saw as a witch-hunt. It also triggered a debate about why so many of the schools seem to be in such a poor state of health.

On the one hand, there are those who see it as the failure of Ofsted inspectors to understand properly what they are judging [9]...

On the other hand, there are those who are broadly in agreement with Ofsted’s findings...

Since [the initial inspections], all the other Steiner schools in England have been inspected. A further five have been judged inadequate, including two of our longest established schools, and further three “require improvement”. There is some good news though: four have been judged to be good. Two more reports are still to be published...

As regards the independent Steiner schools that are funded by parents, with nine having been judged inadequate and seven that “require improvement”, these schools urgently need to demonstrate that they do have the capacity to turn themselves around...

As regards the three Steiner academies, they will be taken into a multi-academy trust (MAT) [10].. The hope is that this MAT will be the Avanti Trust [11], the same Trust that is opening a new Waldorf-inspired school, Langley Hill, on the site of the former Kings Langley Rudolf Steiner School [12]...

[T]hese three Steiner academies would be likely to become “Waldorf-inspired” schools [13], like Langley Hill...

The jury is out as to how authentic a Steiner school a “Waldorf-inspired” school can be under Avanti ... What is certain is that without Avanti the future of these three state-funded schools would be very bleak.

So at this moment we don’t know what the future holds for the English Steiner schools; but there is always a silver lining to every dark cloud, even if right now that silver lining it is not entirely obvious. [14]

[6/22/2019    http://www.nna-news.org/news/article/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2754&cHash=40e61d9b952c7ce4bb45dee4bf456e21    This article originally appeared on June 21.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] I.e., all Steiner schools in the UK. [See "Steiner School Crisis".] Saying that Ofsted shines a "bright light" on Seiner schools is, from an Anthroposophical perspective, generous. Many proponents of Steiner (Waldorf) education consider outsiders incapable of understanding the Steiner/Waldorf approach or the Anthroposophical underpinnings of Waldorf education. Some, indeed, suspect cold-eyed inspectors and critics of Steiner/Waldorf education to have nefarious — possibly even demonic — motives. [See, e.g., "demonization of opponents by Anthroposophists" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BW/SE).]

[2] For coverage of events at that school, see "S. A. Exeter". 

[3] These academies are, according to British terminology, "free schools." Operating almost like private schools, free schools follow their own educational philosophies. But free schools receive government financing, which enables students can attend for free. In The USA, such schools are called charter schools.

[4] These are private Steiner schools, institutions that follow their own educational philosophy and depend on their own fund-raising efforts.

[5] "Inadequate" and "Requires Improvement" are the two lowest assessments issued by Ofsted. They are equivalent to failing and near-failing grades (F and D/C-).

[6] An Ofsted assessment of "Good" is equivalent to a grade of B. (The highest assessment issued by Ofsted is "Outstanding" — equivalent to a grade of A. None of the Steiner schools received this assessment.)

[7] I.e., alarm in the Steiner/Anthroposophical community.

[8] Rudolf Steiner urged his followers to believe that they are surrounded by pitiless, conspiratorial enemies. [See "Enemies".] The NNA article seems to confirm such a belief, referring to "the anti-Waldorf lobby," as if such a lobby unquestionably exists.

[9] This is, perhaps, the prevalent view from within the Steiner movement: Outsiders cannot properly understand or judge Anthroposophical thoughts or actions. (Thus, for instance, many Anthroposophical publications have carried this prefatory note: “No person is held qualified to form a judgment on the contents of this work, who has not acquired — through the School of Spiritual Science itself or in an equivalent manner recognized by the School of Spiritual Science — the requisite preliminary knowledge. Other opinions will be disregarded....”) The School of Spiritual Science is the esoteric institution, trafficking in secretive spiritual teachings, created by Rudolf Steiner for his devout followers. [See "School of Spiritual Science" in the BW/SE.]

[10] Multi-academy trusts are educational organizations that run two or more schools in coordination, under a single board of directors. When a struggling school enters such a trust, the directors work to improve that school.

[11] From the Avanti website: 

"The purpose of Avanti is to contribute to society through the systematic pursuit of human values and spiritual development ... Our vision was for a family of schools based upon our core principles of educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight. We now have close to 2,700 students and 250 members of staff across our family of 7 schools ... Our current schools all have Hindu faith-designations and the next exciting phase for Avanti is to develop our group of non-denominational schools, underpinned by Avanti’s purpose to contribute to society through the systematic pursuit of human values and spiritual development." — https://avanti.org.uk/about/.

[12] For coverage of the events at the Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, see "RSSKL". 

[13] "Waldorf-inspired" schools emulate Waldorf schools. Whether they also adopt the underlying Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy, varies from school to school. When non-Anthroposophists run a school that simply adopts certain Waldorf methods [see "Methods"], the school should not be considered representative of Waldorf schools generally — it is not a real Waldorf school. But when Steiner's devoted followers run a "Waldorf-inspired" school, Anthroposophy will be central to their thinking, and the school will likely be in all ways except official designation a thoroughgoing Waldorf school.

[14] Writing from an Anthroposophical perspective, and aiming to boost Anthroposophists' spirits, NNA works hard to find a glint of silver in all this. ("There is some good news though: four have been judged to be good." Four Steiner schools got grades of B.) Take what comfort you can from that. In the end, though, the truth is less than spirit-boosting. If these events hold a silver lining for Anthroposophists — and for supporters of Steiner/Waldorf education — it is difficult if not impossible to spot. "[R]ight now that silver lining it is not entirely obvious." No, not entirely.

— R.R.

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 .June 20, 2019

WALDORF MYSTERIES:

BEHIND THE FACADE 

A new interview with Waldorf critic Dan Dugan has been posted online. Dugan is secretary of People for Legal and Nonsectarian Schools (PLANS), which seeks to expose the "reality behind Waldorf's facade" — the pretense that Waldorf schools are progressive preparatory schools with a classic liberal-arts curriculum. In fact, according to Dugan and his colleagues, Waldorf schools are fronts for "Anthroposophy, an occultist sect founded by Rudolf Steiner [1]".

Here are a few excerpts from the interview. I have added some footnotes.

Waldorf: Is There a Hidden Agenda? 

Interview with Dan Dugan

[Introduction, by Varda Epstein:]

"...Some parents are enthusiastic about the Waldorf education system. Others, initially enthusiastic, have had bad experiences with the schools ... The issues that parents have experienced in the Waldorf education system are, to a degree, shrouded in mystery. The schools seem to have attempted to create a distance between the education system and some of Steiner’s more outlandish theories. But some parents believe the separation between Steiner’s ideas and today’s Waldorf classroom is artificial. They feel that the Waldorf education system is based on a hidden religious agenda that is odd, outmoded, and perhaps even dangerous...."

[Statements by Dan Dugan:]

"I enrolled my son in the San Francisco Waldorf School halfway through 6th grade. He was there through the seventh grade ... I was seduced by the integration of art into all subjects, teaching arithmetic through physical activities like marching and tossing beanbags, Greek mythology, [etc.]...

"[But, among other things, I learned that] Steiner adopted Theosophy’s [2] cyclical racial plan of history [3] ... Humans reincarnate in successively higher races, dark-skinned people being the childhood of humanity, and the mythical Aryan race currently being the highest...

"The Anthroposophists [among a Waldorf faculty] constitute the College of Teachers [4], the governing body of the school that makes all decisions to do with pedagogy...

"Students [at Waldorf schools] say prayers several times a day. Art work illustrates lessons which always teach the Anthroposophical attitude toward the subjects. Young children are told that gnomes and angels are real. Anthroposophical rituals mark the seasons of the year...

"When I started objecting to 1) bad science, 2) racism in Steiner books sold at the school, and 3) the school promoting quack medicine, my son was expelled [5]. Not willing to disappear silently, I intended to write articles about these topics and distribute them to the parents. When I did research I discovered the deep and complex world of Anthroposophy. I decided to write the first book about Waldorf as seen from outside the Steiner cult. Some years later that project converted to activism when Waldorf schools started to get public funding as charter schools and magnet schools. I joined with Debra Snell [6] and eight others who had experience with or interest in Waldorf to incorporate PLANS...

"Of course parents should be free to choose [where to send their children for education], but tax money is not given freely [7]. Waldorf schools have fine-tuned their misrepresentation of what they are: religious schools [8], with over 100 years of practice. Most Waldorf parents don’t know what Anthroposophy is [9]...."

 [6/20/2019    https://www.kars4kids.org/blog/education/waldorf-hidden-agenda-interview-dan-dugan/?utm_source=contributor&utm_medium=email [10]   The interview was posted on June 19.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See http://www.waldorfcritics.org.

[2] Rudolf Steiner was a Theosophist prior to establishing Anthroposophy as a separate spiritual movement. [See, e.g., "Basics".]

[3] See the section "Racism and the Relationship of Anthroposophy to Nazi Philosophy" at the PLANS website: http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles.html#Racism.

[4] This is the central committee at typical Waldorf schools. The committee is meant to be collegial both because decisions are theoretically made by consensus among the co-equal members, and because the members devote a portion of each meeting to the study and discussion of Steiner's writings and lectures. [See "college of teachers" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[5] As Dugan became acquainted with the education his son was receiving, he spotted these problems in the Waldorf approach. [Concerning the bad science taught at Waldorf, see, e.g., "Waldorf Schools Teach Odd Science, Odd Evolution", http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles/Eugenie_Scott_94.html. Concerning Anthroposophical racism, see the PLANS website section mentioned in footnote #3, above: "Racism and the Relationship of Anthroposophy to Nazi Philosophy", http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles.html#Racism. Concerning Anthroposophical quack medicine, see the PLANS website section "Anthroposophical Medicine", http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles.html#AnthroMed.]

[6] Debra Snell is president of PLANS. Her welcoming statement appears on the PLANS home page: http://www.waldorfcritics.org. Also see "An Interview With PLANS President", http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles/InterviewPLANSPres.html.

[7] I.e., tax money should be spent wisely and in accordance with US laws and the Constitution. For this reason, the government should not give financial support to Waldorf schools; doing so would violate the separation of church and state. [See Dugan's article, "Why Waldorf Programs are Unsuitable for Public Funding " — http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles/dugan_dan_csr0202j.htm.]

[8] See http://www.waldorfcritics.org/concerns.html.

[9] For a primer, see Dugan's article "Anthroposophy", which appears in THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UNBELIEF (Prometheus Books, 2007): http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles/Anthroposophy.html.

[10] The interview appears at the website of the charity Kars4Kids. The organization — which identifies itself as predominately Jewish — accepts donations of used cars, which it sells in order to acquire funds to be used helping children. "We’re a national Jewish nonprofit providing mentorship, educational support and nurturing year-round environments. Whether it’s tailored care from staff in summer camp, the safe haven of afterschool groups, or a mentor's listening ear, we provide the support youth need to thrive." - http://www.kars4kidsprograms.org/?ref=Car.

— Footnotes assembled by R.R.

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 .June 19, 2019

THREE OF FOUR STEINER ACADEMIES 

TURN TO A HINDU SCHOOLS TRUST 

Here is a follow-up to recent reports about the decision taken by several Steiner academies [1] to join the Avanti Schools Trust [2].

From Schools Week [London, UK]:

New trust found for 

failing Steiner schools 

[by] Pippa Allen-Kinross

An academy trust [3] that runs seven Hindu schools has been chosen to take over three of the country’s four Steiner state schools.

The three Steiner academies in Bristol, Exeter and Frome [4] will all join the Avanti Schools Trust after a turbulent year that has seen all three placed in special measures [5] after damning reports by the inspectorate [6]...

A spokesperson for the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, the umbrella body for Steiner schools, said the schools would remain Steiner under the new trust [7]...

All seven of Avanti’s current schools are Hindu schools and provide yoga and mindfulness lessons [8]. They are run with a focus on character formation and spiritual insight as well as education [9].

Avanti trust did not respond to a request for comment...

All three of the Steiner academies were placed in special measures by Ofsted after inspections in October and November 2018.

Snap inspections of nine state and private Steiner schools at the end of last year found six were “inadequate” and three “requires improvement” [10]...

The only other state Steiner school, Steiner Academy Hereford, was rated ‘good’ [11].

[6/19/2019    https://schoolsweek.co.uk/new-trust-found-for-failing-steiner-schools/]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Steiner academies are "free schools" — what in the USA would be called charter schools. They are state schools in that they receive government financing, but they implement their own educational philosophy. (Other Steiner schools, not called "academies," are private schools, dependent on their own fundraising.)

[2] From the Avanti website: 

"The purpose of Avanti is to contribute to society through the systematic pursuit of human values and spiritual development ... Our vision was for a family of schools based upon our core principles of educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight. We now have close to 2,700 students and 250 members of staff across our family of 7 schools ... Our current schools all have Hindu faith-designations and the next exciting phase for Avanti is to develop our group of non-denominational schools, underpinned by Avanti’s purpose to contribute to society through the systematic pursuit of human values and spiritual development." — https://avanti.org.uk/about/.

[3] Academy trusts — also called multi-academy trusts — are educational organizations that run two or more schools in coordination, under a single board of directors.

[4] For previous coverage of the situations at these schools, see "S. A. Exeter" and "Bristol, Frome, &".

[5] "Special measures" are urgent or emergency actions intended to produce rapid improvements in a failing school. A school placed in special measures should expect frequent official inspections conducted with little advance warning. Moreover, an appointed executive committee may remove teachers and managers at the school. In extreme cases, if a school fails to improve, it may be ordered to close.

[6] The "inspectorate" is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

[7] This is the central question: Will Avanti allow the Steiner academies to remain true to their Steiner beliefs and practices, or not? The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship (SWSF) clearly intends for the schools to remain faithful to their Steiner roots.

[8] Both yoga and mindfulness are potentially compatible with the Steiner approach. [See "Bristol Steiner School Will Shelter Under a Hindu Wing", June 17, 2019.]

[9] Like Avanti's Hindu schools, Steiner schools place great stress on spirituality. Indeed, these schools are essentially religious institutions, although they usually deny this. [See "Schools as Churches" and "Secrets".]

[10] "Inadequate" is the lowest grade issued by Ofsted; it is equivalent to an "F." "Requires Improvement" is equivalent to a "D" of "C-."

[11] "Good" is equivalent to a "B". (The highest grade issued by Ofsted, equivalent to an "A", is "Outstanding." None of the Steiner schools inspected received this grade.)

— R.R.

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 .June 17, 2019

BRISTOL STEINER SCHOOL WILL 

SHELTER UNDER A HINDU WING 

Here is a further report about troubled Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) turning to a Hindu association for protection. A previous report appeared here on June 14, 2019: "Threatened Steiner Schools Turn to Hindu Trust."

From BristolLive [Bristol, UK]:

Troubled Steiner Academy Bristol [1] 

has been taken over by a Hindu trust.

By Emma Grimshaw

Earlier this year, [Steiner Academy Bristol] was placed into special measures [2] following a damning Ofsted [3].

Inspectors said pupils were being put at avoidable risk of harm and school leaders were issued with a ‘termination warning notice’ forcing it [4] to join a multi-academy trust [5] or face being closed down.

Leaders [6] agreed to team up with Avanti Schools Trust which already runs five schools across the country [7].

It is still unclear at this stage how much of Waldorf Steiner's teaching the new academy will adopt [8]...

Other schools ran by the Hindu trust integrate yoga [9] and mindfulness [10] into lessons...

According to the Avanti Schools Trust's website they are looking at working with more non-denomination schools [11].... 

[6/17/2019    https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/steiner-academy-bristol-being-taken-2977354]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] For previous coverage of the situation at this Steiner school, see "Bristol, Frome, &".

[2] "Special measures" are urgent or emergency actions intended to produce rapid improvements in a failing school. A school placed in special measures should expect frequent official inspections conducted with little advance warning. Moreover, an appointed executive committee may remove teachers and managers at the school. In extreme cases, if a school fails to improve, it may be ordered to close.

[3] I.e., a highly critical inspection report from Ofsted, the UK government's Office for Standards in Education. Ofsted conducts inspections of various types of schools in the UK.

[4] I.e., the school.

[5] Multi-academy trusts in the UK are organizations consisting of two or more schools that work together in an effort to attain high educational standards. Each multi-academy trust has a single set of directors who oversee all of the schools in the trust.

[6] I.e., leaders of the Steiner Academy Bristol.

[7] "Avanti Schools Trust is the sponsor of state-funded Hindu faith schools in the United Kingdom." — Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avanti_Schools_Trust]. The schools currently run by Avanti are all Hindu institutions: ◊ Avanti Fields All-through School, Leicester; ◊ Avanti Court Primary School, Redbridge; ◊ Avanti House Primary School, Harrow; ◊ Avanti House Secondary School, Harrow; ◊ Krishna Avanti Primary School, Croydon; ◊ Krishna Avanti Primary School, Harrow; and ◊ Krishna Avanti Primary School, Leicester. [See https://avanti.org.uk/our-schools/.]

[8] This is the key issue. To what degree will Steiner Academy Bristol be able to continue functioning as a Steiner school once it is incorporated into the Avanti Schools Trust? For Steiner schools generally, the danger in joining a multi-academy trust is that they may be unable to maintain their distinctive Steiner/Waldorf character. In particular, their allegiance to Anthroposophy may be imperiled. Cooperation between Steiner schools and Avanti may be eased because Anthroposophy contains various elements derived from Hinduism, such as belief in karma and reincarnation. On the other hand, several central tenets of Anthroposophy — such as emphasis on Christ — are alien to Hinduism. The test will be whether Avanti will allow Anthroposophy to continue playing the central role in Steiner schools for which it takes responsibility.

[9] Yoga is a Hindu discipline involving various physical postures and conscious control of bodily functions. 

"The word Yoga comes from the root yuj, 'to yoke or join.' It is used to suggest the union of the individual self (atman). with the Highest Self (Brahman). Yoga is the means to integrate the body with the mind and the lower self with the higher self. Through yoga, one can achieve perfection of the physical, mental and lower selves and prepare ones [sic] journey into higher consciousness through the awakening of the Kundalini and other latent powers. Purely as a physical exercise, yoga can aid us in keeping our bodies and minds in perfect balance and at peace. Yoga is the most important contribution of Hinduism to the modern world. The practice of yoga is a sure way to hasten the process of our evolution into higher beings of the transcendental realms." — "The Yoga Homepage", Hinduwebsite.com [https://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/yogaindex.asp]. 

Steiner identified yoga as a path leading to occult initiation. [See "Yoga".]

[10] Mindfulness is a concept from Buddhism that has been incorporated in Hinduism. 

"[The Buddha] advised his followers to cultivate the wonderful state of mindfulness to break themselves free from their ignorance and existential suffering ... The practice of mindfulness, tempered with compassion, detachment and understanding, is in tune with the teachings of the Buddha on the Eightfold Path [leading to enlightenment] ... Mindfulness means to be now and here and perceive with clarity what is going on in your mind, body and environment." — "The Meaning and Practice of Mindfulness", Hinduwebsite.com [https://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/mindfulnesspractice.asp]. 

Mindfulness is potentially consistent with Anthroposophical spiritual objectives and practices. [See "Knowing the Worlds".]

[11] Avanti aims to expand beyond operating purely Hindu schools. "Non-denomination schools," in the sense used here by Avanti, are non-Hindu schools. Steiner schools usually claim to be non-denominational — they deny that they are tied to a specific religion. However, if Anthroposophy is recognized for what it actually is — a religion — then this claim is undercut. In reality, Steiner schools are disguised Anthroposophical religious institutions — and the disguise is usually easy to penetrate. [See, e.g., "Schools as Churches" and "Waldorf Worship".]

— R.R.

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 .June 15, 2019

◊ News Brief ◊

ANOTHER ONE 

CHECKING OUT  

Another Waldorf high school is closing. Last month, a Waldorf high school in Hawaii announced it is giving up the ghost [1]. In today's case, the soon-to-be-gone high school is located in Wisconsin.

Proponents of Waldorf schools tout their form of education as the fastest-growing independent school movement in the world. There may be some truth to this claim [2]. But the claim is often made without any supporting evidence or documentation. And it omits the reality that numerous Waldorf schools fail for one reason or another [3]. Currently in the United Kingdom, for instance, various Waldorf or Steiner schools are shutting down — or trembling on the brink — following a series of damning official inspections [4].

Here is the latest case of a Waldorf demise on this side of the pond. 

From WDJT News [Milwaukee, USA]:

Tamarack Waldorf High School [5]

in Milwaukee will not reopen 

for the 2019-2020 school year 

By: Brittany Lewis

...In a statement, a Tamarack Waldorf School Administrator said Tamarack Waldorf High School will not be reopening next school year because the building owners of the high school location have decided not to renew the lease and they have been unable to secure an alternative location that fits within the school's model [6].

"This was a painful decision and one that we do not take lightly. We are working closely with schools in the community to identify alternative options for the 30 students [7] and their families that are impacted by the decision..."

Tamarack Waldorf High School's website says the high school opened with 9th graders in the fall of 2014 [8]. 

[6/15/2019    https://www.cbs58.com/news/tamarack-waldorf-high-school-in-milwaukee-will-not-reopen-for-the-2019-2020-school-year    This item originally appeared on June 13.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "Hawaiian Waldorf High School Will Shut Its Doors", May 25, 2019.

[2] For a pro-Waldorf tabulation, see https://www.freunde-waldorf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Waldorf_World_List/Waldorf_World_List.pdf.

[3] See, e.g., "Failure".

[4] See "Steiner School Crisis".

[5] A tamarack is a larch tree native to North America. There is a town named Tamarack in Wisconsin. But Tamarack Waldorf is located in the city of Milwaukee.

[6] This explanation ("unable to secure an alternative location that fits within the school's model") is awfully indistinct. The reality may be more mundane. The school attracted very few students (just 30 kids are currently enrolled).

[7] The entire high school was smaller than a typical class in a typical non-Waldorf school.

[8] The high school will have lasted for five years. This is fairly typical for Waldorf schools that fail — they are tiny, and they disappear after only a brief period. And, often, their disappearance goes unreported. [See "The Silent Deaths of Waldorf Schools", January 20, 2018.]

— R.R.

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 .June 14, 2019

THREATENED STEINER SCHOOLS 

TURN TO HINDU TRUST  

In what may be seen as an awkward marriage of convenience — and perhaps a sign of desperation — three low-performing Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) are staking their survival on an educational trust that sponsors Hindu faith schools.

From DevonLive [Devon, UK]:

Future of Exeter Steiner School 

secured after joining new trust 

By Anita Merritt

After months of uncertainty, Exeter's troubled Steiner School [1] has announced its plans to join a successful multi-academy trust [2] have been approved.

Steiner Academy Exeter [has permission to] join the Avanti Schools Trust (AST) [3]...

Steiner-Waldorf schools in Bristol and Frome will also join the trust [4]...

The 442-pupil school in Exeter 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'...

Its Ofsted inspection [5] last October highlighted serious inadequacies in leadership, quality of teaching and safeguarding [6]. The school was found to be 'inadequate' in every area inspected...

Steiner Academy Exeter's acting principal Paul Hougham said: "I am delighted about the decision [to permit the school to join AST]. I fully embrace the opportunity for renewal. I am deeply grateful for the commitment and resilience of staff and parents and I'm looking forward to working with Avanti and continuing to serve the children..."

AST is currently made up of seven schools [7] and promotes its core principles as ‘educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight’ [8].

[6/14/2019   https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/future-exeter-steiner-school-secured-2975369    This article originally appeared on June 13.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Whether the future of the three Steiner schools has been "secured" remains to be seen. 

Schools taken over by multi-academy trusts lose much of their autonomy. Steiner schools usually have difficulty cooperating with outside authorities and organizations — devoted to the Steiner approach, they usually resist outside pressures to change. The key question is likely be whether leaders at the affected Steiner schools will accept the terms AST lays down. 

And here's another important consideration. Steiner or Waldorf schools almost always deny that they are religious institutions. This denial is disingenuous at best [9]. In allying themselves with a distinctly religious trust, the three Steiner schools discussed here implicitly (if unintentionally) acknowledge their religious character.  

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] For previous coverage of the situation at Steiner Academy Exeter, see "S. A. Exeter".

[2] Multi-academy trusts are educational organizations that operate two or more schools. They seek to improve the schools and pass muster with UK educational inspectors. 

[3] "Avanti Schools Trust is the sponsor of state-funded Hindu faith schools in the United Kingdom. The I-Foundation is a Hindu and ISKCON [International Society for Krishna Consciousness] charity in England and Wales that is the religious authority governing schools run by the Avanti Schools Trust." — Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avanti_Schools_Trust].

[4] For previous coverage of the situations at these schools, see "Bristol, Frome, &".

[5] Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education.

[6] I.e., ensuring the safety of students at the school. Most media coverage of the problems at UK Steiner schools [see "Steiner School Crisis"] has focused on safeguarding. But the schools have often been found to be failing in multiple areas, including teaching and management.

[7] These are ◊ Avanti Fields All-through School, Leicester; ◊ Avanti Court Primary School, Redbridge; ◊ Avanti House Primary School, Harrow; ◊ Avanti House Secondary School, Harrow; ◊ Krishna Avanti Primary School, Croydon; ◊ Krishna Avanti Primary School, Harrow; and ◊ Krishna Avanti Primary School, Leicester. [See https://avanti.org.uk/our-schools/.]

[8] The key question may become whether the AST conception of "spiritual insight" is compatible with the Steiner conception. The ideology underlying Steiner or Waldorf education, Anthroposophy, is a religion. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] There are strains of Hinduism in Anthroposophy — both religions are polytheistic, and both subscribe to such concepts as karma and reincarnation. [See "Polytheism", "Karma", and "Reincarnation".] But in many other ways, the two faith diverge. Thus, for instance, Anthroposophy places great emphasis on Christ [see "Was He Christian?" and "Sun God"], and it observes numerous Christian festivals [see "Magical Arts"]. Although Anthroposophy is extremely unorthodox from the perspective of mainstream Christianity, it is generally closer to Christianity than to Hinduism (or Zoroastrianism, which also figures in Anthroposophical doctrine). “Anthroposophy is continuous with the Rosicrucian stream of the Christian esoteric tradition.” — See ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION (Detroit: MacMillan Reference, 2005), pp. 392-394.

[9] See "Schools as Churches".

— R.R.

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 .June 13, 2019

WALDORF, MEASLES, 

THE TIMES — AND DEMONS 

The following is from The New York Times [NYC, USA]. I have added some explanatory footnotes.

Bastion of Anti-Vaccine Fervor: 

Progressive Waldorf Schools

By Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura

The mother of an unvaccinated child...says eating papaya helps to combat measles. The father of another child who has not been immunized believes that big pharmaceutical companies are paying millions of dollars...to bury the truth about vaccine complications. 

Another mother says the souls of her children are on a journey that vaccines would impede...

All three parents represent an anti-vaccine fervor...that is increasingly worrying health authorities. [Such parents] often cluster around...the Waldorf educational movement...

The Waldorf schools were founded in the early 20th century on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner [1], a charismatic Austrian educator who preached a philosophy called “anthroposophy” [2] that included eccentric medical theory [3].

He taught that diseases were influenced by “astral bodies” [4] ... While he did not completely reject the vaccines against smallpox and diphtheria used in his day, he said rosemary baths were better for diphtheria and that smallpox could be avoided by being mentally prepared to confront it...

Pediatricians and epidemiologists [contacted by The Times] said that suspicions about vaccines have emerged [in recent years] largely because the effects of measles and other infections have faded from public memory.

“I’ve seen children die of measles, kids devastated by rubella, children becoming sterile from mumps,” Professor Weitzman [a professor of pediatrics and public health] said. “Parents can have these kind of opinions because they haven’t seen the devastation that these diseases can cause.”

[6/13/2019    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/nyregion/measles-outbreak-new-york.html]

◊

The article has inspired a long and growing list of comments from readers. Here are two of the posted comments:

◊ "I've got to call out some really bad misinformation. Waldorf is very much based on rote learning, and kids are very much discouraged from learning at their own pace or outside the draconian curriculum. There is almost nothing progressive about Waldorf [5], and it's little surprise that anti-scientific and anti-intellectual ideas find refuge here. 'Public Waldorf's' clever disinformation campaign, and its use of public funds, could use a little more investigative reporting actually..." — Charles Greer

◊ "@Charles Greer   Thank you for providing this missing piece and the helpful suggestion. The Waldorf educational philosophy comes from 1919. Most of us have learned a thing or two since then. All private schools that receive public money should be continuously investigated and regulated at the same level that public schools are." — Mary Bardmess

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools — which certainly are not progressive — rarely if ever have official anti-vaxx policies. But fear of vaccination runs deep in the culture found in and around typical Waldorf schools [6]. This fear traces back to the founder of Waldorf education, Rudolf Steiner.

We might summarize the Steiner/Waldorf view this way:

1. Unnatural things (especially technological products) are generally bad. So, for instance, Rudolf Steiner said this:

"When we build steam-engines, we provide the opportunity for the incarnation of demons [6] ... In the steam-engine, Ahrimanic demons [7] are actually brought to the point of physical embodiment." — Rudolf Steiner, “The Relation of Man to the Hierarchies” (ANTHROPOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT, Vol. V, Nos. 14-15, 1928).

Steam engines, while not new, were still technical marvels in Steiner's day. Today, his followers say that more-modern, higher-tech inventions are even more prone to populate the Earth with demons. [8] Vaccines, produced by white-coated scientists and technicians in sterile laboratories, are quintessentially unnatural products of high technology. In the view of Steiner's followers, such newfangled medical treatments have the perverse (dare we say demonic?) effect of preventing children from contracting natural childhood diseases that are good for them. As a Waldorf teacher has written:

"Childhood diseases...result from a necessary developmental process ... This basic concept of the origin of childhood diseases has been complicated by new forms of medication that suppress symptoms (vaccination)." — Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 20. [9]

Whether childhood diseases are good for kids (helping them with their development) is a subject parents should mull carefully. Childhood diseases such as measles and chickenpox are not often deadly — but sometimes they do kill. A parent whose child dies from a preventable childhood disease may well conclude that "new forms of medication that suppress symptoms (vaccination)" are in fact extremely important and beneficial. Note that vaccination does not merely suppress symptoms. In most cases, it prevents a disease from taking hold.

2. Vaccination can interfere with karma [10], leaving it unfulfilled. On this point, Steiner made such statements as the following:

"[T]he best minds of our time display a kind of aversion against the practice of vaccination … [Through vaccination] we are merely accomplishing something to which the person in question will somehow have to produce a counterpart in a later incarnation [11]." — Rudolf Steiner, MANIFESTATIONS OF KARMA (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004, p. 166. 

In other words, the vaccinated patient will have to fulfill this part of her/his karma in a later life, since it was left unfulfilled in this life. If s/he should have had smallpox in this life but was prevented from do so, s/he will have to contract smallpox — or something worse — in a later life.

3. Vaccination will likely harm you if it is not supplemented by spiritual instruction.

"Vaccination will not be harmful if, subsequent to vaccination, the person receives a spiritual education." — Rudolf Steiner, MANIFESTATIONS OF KARMA (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004, p. 166.

The "spiritual education" Steiner had in mind consisted of his own teachings, the doctrines of Anthroposophy. In essence, Steiner argued that the only real defense against harmful (or demonic) technological assaults on our humanity is deep immersion in Anthroposophy. Steiner offered spiritual education to his followers at his School of Spiritual Science [12] at the Anthroposophical headquarters in Switzerland [13]. Waldorf education itself is another — toned-down but potentially affective — form of Anthroposophical instruction [14].

4. Vaccination will harm you severely if it entails the sort of vaccine created by black magicians — in which case it will destroy your soul.

"[T]hose whose intentions toward humanity are not good, in other words whose who are black or grey magicians, [are working] behind the scenes of external events during the current decades … Certain circles in this materialistic age are striving to paralyze and make impossible all of humanity’s spiritual development … Endeavors to achieve this will be made by bringing out remedies to be administered by inoculation … [I]noculations will be tested that already in childhood will make people lose any urge for a spiritual life." — Rudolf Steiner, SECRET BROTHERHOODS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), pp. 90-91. [15]

This is to say, such vaccinations will leave you — or your child — spiritually dead.

That being said, it is no surprise that black magic brings us full circle to the presence of Ahriman —aka, demons.

"Although the paths followed by black magic are many, the effect they aim at is always something like a covenant with Ahriman or Shiva [16]." — Rudolf Steiner, THE EFFECTS OF OCCULT DEVELOPMENT UPON THE SELF AND THE SHEATHS OF MAN (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., 1945), lecture 8, GA 145.

◊

All in all, while Waldorf schools are not officially averse to vaccination, the doctrines of Anthroposophy produce a deep-seated antipathy to this proven medical treatment.

For previous Waldorf Watch coverage of these issues, see, e.g., "Waldorf & Measles: Seeking Context", May 30, 2019; "News Briefs", May 28, 2019; "News Briefs", May 17, 2019; "Waldorf, Measles, and the Big Apple", May 12, 2019; etc. [See "Measles" and "Vaccination" in the Waldorf Watch Annex Index.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "What a Guy"

[2] See "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BW/SE).

[3] See "Steiner's Quackery".

[4] This is one of three invisible bodies that, Steiner taught, incarnate during the first 21 years of life. [See "Incarnation" and, in the BW/SE, "astral body".]

[5] See "Waldorf Now".

[6] See "demons" in the BW/SE.

[7] Ahriman is an arch-demon, according to Steiner. [See "Ahriman".] "Ahrimanic demons" are Ahriman and his demonic minions.

[8] G. Unger:

"[W]hat has been said here about the steam engine applies in a much greater degree to the technology of our time ... [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." — Former Waldorf student Georg Unger, “On ‘Mechanical Occultism’” (Mitteilungen aus der Anthroposophischen Arbeit in Deutschland nos. 68–69, 1964). 

◊ A. Neider:

"When we consider computer technology, it is apparent...that we are dealing with an externalized ahrimanic doppelgänger [i.e., an incarnated double of Ahriman]." — Waldorf lecturer Andreas Neider in the Introduction THE ELECTRONIC DOPPELGÄNGER (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2016), p. 8.

[9] For more on the "benefits" of childhood diseases, see, e.g., L. F. C. Mees's BLESSED BY ILLNESS (Anthroposophic Press, 1998).

[10] Belief karma is woven through much Anthroposophical lore. [See "Karma".]

[11] In addition to believing in karma, Anthroposophists believe in reincarnation. [See "Reincarnation".]

[12] See "Esoteric School" and "School of Spiritual Science" in the BW/SE. The term "spiritual science," as used by Steiner's followers, is principally Anthroposophy. [See "spiritual science" in the BW/SE.]

[13] The headquarters is located in a large building — essentially a cathedral — designed by Steiner and called the Goetheanum. [See "Goetheanum" in the BW/SE.]

[14] See "Sneaking It In" and "Indoctrination". A child who receives Waldorf instruction is presumably protected, at least a little, against the dire effects of vaccination. But this would be true only if the instruction were clearly and deeply Anthroposophical, and Waldorf schools usually deny that they teach the kids Anthroposophy.

[15] Concerning Anthroposophical belief in magic, both white and black, see "Magic", "Magicians", and "White/Black".

[16] Shiva is the Hindu god of reproduction and destruction. Steiner associated Shiva's destructive impulses with Ahriman.

"I am now giving you for the first time a definition of the nature of human earthly knowledge. It consists of the dim and dulled impulses of destruction. Shiva in his most terrible [i.e., destructive] form, so far stupefied that he cannot freely find expression but is, as it were, made threadbare, compressed into the human world of ideas — this is the maya [illusion] of the human being, this is the knowledge of man ... [T]he original terrible impulse [for this is] ruled by Ahriman...." — Rudolf Steiner, THE EFFECTS OF OCCULT DEVELOPMENT UPON THE SELF AND THE SHEATHS OF MAN (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., 1945), lecture 8, GA 145.

This vision of worldly knowledge — seeing it as destructive, benighted, illusory (maya) — bears on the Anthroposophical view of modern medicine, and it colors the Waldorf educational philosophy, which tends to disparage modern scientific knowledge.

— R.R.

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 .June 11, 2019

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 

FOR MANY LIFETIMES 

Dan Dugan is a professional sound designer/inventor. He is also one of the world's foremost critics of Waldorf education. Having sent his child to a Waldorf school, he became seriously disillusioned with Waldorf. Thereafter, he studied Anthroposophy and Waldorf intensively, and he was instrumental in founding People for Legal and Nonsectarian Schools (PLANS), an organization that describes itself as "a world-wide network of former Waldorf parents, teachers, students, administrators and trustees who come from a variety of backgrounds with a common goal: to educate the public about the reality behind Waldorf's facade of progressive, arts-based education. Waldorf is the most visible activity of Anthroposophy, an occultist sect founded by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925)."

Yesterday at the PLANS discussion site (waldorfcritics), Dugan offered the following answers, among others, to questions posted by Tom Torr, a newcomer to the site. (I have added a few footnotes.)

Question by Tom Torr: Do you think there is anything that a child can get from a Waldorf school that they can't get elsewhere?

Answer by Dan Dugan: The integration of art, in all forms, into all subjects is probably more complete in Waldorf than anywhere else...

Q. Is there anything at all that you can say about Waldorf education that is positive?

A. I was strongly attracted to many things in the Waldorf system, and enrolled my son in it. I was so in love with the Waldorf dream that I was willing, for a time, to look the other way when its problems became evident. Eventually I wanted to fix things that were out of order, but then Anthroposophy’s cult-like nature reared its ugly head. I was told to stop talking about my problems with the system with other parents, or my son would be expelled. We left. [1]

Q. I know these questions sound leading but I only ask you because you are a intelligent practical person who went through the system and decided it wasn't a good one, so if there was ever a person who could truly confirm that there is something special about anthroposophy, you would be it.

A. Almost everything about Anthroposophy is “special.” Though most of the lore is borrowed from other spiritual and occult traditions, it adds Steiner’s personal twist.

Q. I also have dabbled in it myself, reading knowledge of higher worlds and did the exercises [2], so I'd like to know if it's a dead end or not. 

A. You can study it for as many lifetimes as you like [3]. When you come up for air, the real world will still be here, welcoming you to knowledge nature bestows gladly on those who inquire, and the joy of human culture through the centuries unencumbered by volumes of dogma that is, to be frank, just made up.

[6/11/2019    https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/32089    Dugan posted his answers on June 10.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] For more, see Dugan's article "Why Waldorf Programs Are Unsuitable for Public Funding", Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles/dugan_dan_csr0202j.htm.

[2] Torr is referring to Rudolf Steiner's book KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT, in which Steiner provides exercises that he claims will enable spiritual aspirants to develop clairvoyance and thus attain the ability to objectively study the spirit realm. [See "Knowing the Worlds: Steiner's How-To".] 

[3] Dugan is referring to the Anthroposophical belief in reincarnation. [See "Reincarnation".]

— R.R.

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 .June 8, 2019

◊ News Brief ◊

From CNBC [USA]:

Inside the tech-free school where 

high-tech parents are sending their kids 

[By] Katie Schoolov and Katie Brigham

In most public and private schools across the nation, Chromebooks, iPads or Windows devices are everywhere.

But things look very different at Waldorf Schools, where technology and screens aren’t used at all through 8th grade, and are scarce even in high school...

Watch the video to see what a Waldorf School is like, and why parents are seeking them out in places like Silicon Valley.

[6/8/2019    https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/07/waldorf-schools-teach-without-technology-heres-what-it-is-like.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

We have covered this matter here before, extensively. Waldorf schools do downplay (and even fear) "technology and screens." And some parents in the Silicon Valley (an incubator of technology) do send their kids to Waldorf schools. (But the great majority do not.)

To dig into these matters, see, e.g., "Digital Citizenship and the Electronic Doppelgänger", June 4, 2019; "Waldorf, Technology, and Ahriman (Again)", December 28, 2018; "Computers, Demons, and Waldorf", November 19, 2018; and "Screens Everywhere: How to Cope", September 6, 2018.

◊

In a nutshell: According to Rudolf Steiner and his followers, technological devices (steam engines, televisions, computers...) enable demons to incarnate on Earth.

Beware.

[See "technology" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia; also see "Spiders, Dragons and Foxes".]

◊

Waldorf schools often have clever PR strategies. Outsiders — including reporters — are often hoodwinked. To understand what is really happening in Waldorf schools, everyone needs to be alert, informed, and at least a tad skeptical. [See, e.g., "PR", "Secrets", "Clues", and "Here's the Answer".]

— R.R.

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 .June 7, 2019

◊ News Briefs ◊

1.

Waldorf schools generally encourage their students to revere nature. In our era of ecological devastation, this is commendable. The occult beliefs that underlie the Waldorf approach may, however, trouble many outsiders.

From News Channel 21 [Oregon, USA]:

Waldorf School plants 

500 trees in burned forest

As part of the celebration of 100 Years of Waldorf Education [1]...[Waldorf] students and communities across the globe will be planting trees [2] and establishing beetending programs and pollination gardens [3]. 

On May 31...the sixth-grade students at the Waldorf School of Bend [4], their teacher, Thom Routt and parent volunteers planted 500 trees on about three acres of burned forest [5]....

[6/7/2019   https://www.ktvz.com/news/waldorf-school-plants-500-trees-in-burned-forest/1084319880]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] The first Waldorf school opened in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1919.

[2] According to Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner, plants have spiritual lives, of a sort. Plants are outward expressions of the spiritual life of the living planet Earth. "[P]lants on the one hand pertain to the ego of the earth and on the other hand to the aura of the earth — the astral body, the earth's world of sensations and feelings..." — Rudolf Steiner, THE SPIRIT IN THE REALM OF PLANTS (Mercury Press, 1984). [For background, see entries for "plants", "I", "aura", and "astral body" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BW/SE).]

[3] Steiner had surprising things to say about bees, such as this: “The group soul of a beehive is a very high level being ... It is of such a high development that you might almost say it is cosmically precocious. It has attained a level of evolutionary development that human beings will later reach in the Venus cycle, which follows the completion of the present Earth cycle.” — Rudolf Steiner, BEES (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 176. [See "bees", "Future Venus", and "Present Earth" in the BW/SE.]

[4] Bend is a small city near the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon.

[5] I.e., a forest previously damaged by a wildfire.

2.

Waldorf schools continue to receive unfortunate publicity because of the anti-vaxx culture that prevails in and around so many of these schools.

From WIRED [California, USA]:

CALIFORNIA’S VACCINATION RATE SLIPS  

AS MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS RISE

[By] Joanna Pearlstein

IN THE LAST few years California has gained ground in its fight to protect children from infectious diseases. But new data released this week shows that the state’s vaccination rate declined for the second year in a row...

The most recent figures show that California now falls below the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended vaccination rate of 95 percent, considered necessary to protect a community from disease outbreaks through herd immunity [1]...

The California schools with the highest exemption rates [2] today...had PME rates [3] of zero five years ago ... About half of the schools with the highest PME rates [today]  are Waldorf schools...

Take Yuba River Charter, a Waldorf-affiliated school in Grass Valley, California ... [J]ust 36 percent of students at the school are vaccinated, with the remainder claiming a permanent medical exemption. (Administrators did not respond to a request for comment)...

At Highland Hall Waldorf school, in the Northridge area of Los Angeles, 34 percent of students have a temporary medical exemption ... Thirty miles east in Altadena, it’s a similar story at another Waldorf school....

[6/7/2019    https://www.wired.com/story/californias-vaccination-rate-slips-as-medical-exemptions-rise/]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] "Herd immunity" (an unfortunate phrase) applies to community-wide immunity attained when an extremely high percentage of the population has been vaccinated. When the vaccination percentage falls too low, infections can spread throughout a community, affecting even individuals who have received vaccinations.

[2] Various states have allowed exemptions from vaccination for various reasons. In the past, California allowed individuals to claim "personal belief exemptions" (PBE's): Individuals could decline to be vaccinated because, they claimed, the practice violated their personal beliefs.

[3] After California stopped granting PBE's, the state still allowed individuals to claim "permanent medical exemptions" (PME's): Individuals can decline to be vaccinated because, they claim, the practice would be medically damaging to them. Temporary medical exemptions are also available. Doctors must underwrite claims for medical exemptions. Still, critics allege that many people who claim permanent or temporary medical exemptions do not, in fact, have any valid medical reason for refusing to be vaccinated.

3.

Une vie en anthroposophie, 

avec Grégoire Perra - 

SHOCKING !

{A Life in Anthroposophy, 

with Grégoire Perra - 

Shocking!}

Former Waldorf student and teacher Grégoire Perra is becoming increasingly well known, especially in his homeland, France. Having broken away from the Waldorf movement, Perra has published numerous essays — and he has delivered numerous speeches — denouncing Waldorf and its underlying ideology, Anthroposophy. [1] 

A few years ago, Perra was sued for libel by Waldorf authorities in France. He won the case. [2] Today, he faces similar lawsuits brought by other Anthroposophists. [3] The outcome of those actions remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, French media have been giving increased attention to Perra and his situation. There have been articles in newspapers and magazines, and now the Youtube channel Méta de Choc has begun offering a lengthy interview with Perra. The first of six parts is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy8SLIk49bY&feature=youtu.be.

Be forewarned: The interview is in French. [4] 

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Perra's blog (written in French) is La Vérité sur les écoles Steiner-Waldorf {The Truth About Steiner-Waldorf Schools}. You can find it at https://veritesteiner.wordpress.com.

[2] See "My Life Among the Anthroposophists", Part 3.

[3] See "Grégoire Perra".

[4] This is sad for those of us who are ignorant of that superb language. On the other hand, some of Perra's writings are available in English. [See, e.g., "He Went to Waldorf", "My Life Among the Anthroposophists", and "Mistreating Kids Lovingly".]

Likewise, there is an English-language page available at Perra's crowdfunding site, where contributions can be made to help finance his legal defense: https://www.okpal.com/soutenir-le-lanceur-d-alerte-gregoire-perra/#/. Perra estimates he needs at least 13,000 euros to cover the cost of his defense; to date, he has received a bit under 10,300 euros from a total of 163 contributors.

— R.R.

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 .June 4, 2019

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP 

AND THE ELECTRONIC DOPPELGÄNGER 

Waldorf schools are famously low-tech. Some parents send their kids to Waldorf schools for precisely this reason. But there may be more to the matter than immediately meets the eye.

Let's start on the upside. Waldorf schools sometimes set an example by promoting good cyber citizenship. The following is from Aspen Public Radio [Colorado, USA]:

Reading, Writing, Cyber Civics: 

Schools Grapple With Creating 

Good Digital Citizens

By Christin Kay

Faced with problems like cyber-bullying, fake news and social media addiction, schools are dedicating class time to teaching students how to use digital tools responsibly...

Tim Connolly and his 6th graders are talking cyber civics at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork today. He reads scenarios about things like creating fake Snapchat accounts or responding to hurtful online comments. They jump in to discuss...

Cyber civics isn’t about making students afraid of the Internet. But students like Henry Hendrix say that they have learned to be cautious...

At the Waldorf School, these students are pretty much tech-free, with no phones or computers. Seventh- and eighth-graders might use the internet for some projects, but that’s about it. Teacher Patty Connolly says, it’s not that the school is anti-technology.

"Our approach really isn’t no tech. It’s slow tech," she said....

[6/4/2019   https://www.aspenpublicradio.org/post/reading-writing-cyber-civics-schools-grapple-creating-good-digital-citizens]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools may not be literally no tech, but they come close. ("At the Waldorf School, these students are pretty much tech-free, with no phones or computers.")

The underlying reason may surprise you. It has to do with demons.

The following, written by a Waldorf lecturer, is from a recent Anthroposophical publication:

When we consider computer technology, it is apparent...that we are dealing with an externalized ahrimanic doppelgänger [1] ... The computer is a cold machine with a very high level of intelligence and an uncompromising will [2] ... Steiner [connects] the discovery of the ahrimanic doppelgänger with [the] 'fall of the spirits of darkness' [3]. He describes the attempt by western occult lodges [3] to keep these facts secret in order to exploit them as a deliberate means of exerting power and darkening people's awareness of supersensible [5] reality ... [A] large proportion of humanity's powers of attention are now bound to machines with the help of the consciousness technologies of the internet and computers ... Rudolf Steiner [describes] how these technologies, originating in America, will spread throughout the world [6].

Those who will seek to introduce the Antichrist [7] as the Christ are attempting to exploit what is able to act through the most material of forces but which, in actual fact, acts in a spiritual way through the most material of forces. Above all, this group is seeking to exploit electricity and the Earth's magnetism in order to generate effects throughout the world [8].

Steiner thus makes clear that, in connection with the fall of the spirits of darkness, an attempt will be made to absorb the development of the free, etheric forces [9] of our consciousness. This is because the spirits of darkness had to leave the etheric realm [10] and therefore have an ever greater interest in keeping human consciousness away from this sphere. At present, they achieve this primarily through those machines [11] that imitate consciousness processes within the human organism, processes that are bound to the senses and based on electrical currents, and ultimately, therefore, based on the ahrimanic doppelgänger.

— Waldorf lecturer Andreas Neider in the Introduction to a collection of Steiner lectures, THE ELECTRONIC DOPPELGÄNGER (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2016), pp. 8-18.

Computers, you see, are incarnations or externalized doubles (doppelgängers) of the arch-demon Ahriman. When you turn on a computer, you are inviting Ahriman into your life.

Waldorf schools may not be Waldorf schools may not be literally no tech, but they come close. The underlying reason is fear of demons.

[Rudolf Steiner Press, 2016]

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Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] I.e., an incarnated double or doppelgänger of the arch-demon Ahriman. [See "Ahriman".]

[2] Actually, computers are just boxes containing elaborate electronic circuitry. They have no intelligence or will of their own. They follow instructions programmed into them by human beings.

[3] I.e., the ejection of certain demons from the spirit realm. [See "Spirits of Darkness" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BW/SE).] Steiner died before computers were invented. In applying Steiner's teachings to today's technologies, Anthroposophists extrapolate from statements Steiner made about the technologies of his own time. E.g., 

“When we build steam-engines, we provide the opportunity for the incarnation of demons ... In the steam-engine, Ahrimanic demons are actually brought to the point of physical embodiment.” — Rudolf Steiner, “The Relation of Man to the Hierarchies” (ANTHROPOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT, Vol. V, Nos. 14-15, 1928). 

[4] I.e., secret societies.[See "occult lodges" in the BW/SE.]

[5] I.e., supernatural.

[6] According to Steiner, America has a lot to answer for. [See "America".]

[7] See "Sorat" in the BW/SE.

[8] See "Spiders, Dragons and Foxes".

[9] See "etheric force(s)" in the BW/SE.

[10] See "etheric realm" in the BW/SE.

[11] I.e., computers.

— R.R.

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 .June 1, 2019

DUE THIS MONTH 

FROM STEINERBOOKS 

The Anthroposophical publisher SteinerBooks plans to release the following book this month:

Rudolf Steiner's Esoteric Teaching Activity

Truthfulness, Continuity, New Form

[SteinerBooks, 2019]

Paperback

$25.00Available: June 2019

978-1-62148-241-3 

[From the publisher:]

These accounts by Hella Wiesberger (1920–2014) offer an overview of the nature, background, and history of Rudolf Steiner's esoteric teaching activity. This book is the result of her lifelong study of this aspect of Steiner’s work, including documents she oversaw as an editor of Rudolf Steiner’s Collected Works. Wiesberger’s collegial relationships with certain esoteric students also helped her illumine some of Steiner’s less accessible documents...

We are fortunate to have these records from a devoted and diligent student of Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy. They provide valuable insights into the story and substance of Spiritual Science and its esoteric school and teaching.

CONTENTS:

Introduction

Rudolf Steiner in the History of the Esoteric Movement

Rudolf Steiner as a Teacher of Esotericism

Research into Occult History

Rudolf Steiner on the First Section of the Esoteric School, 1904–1914

The Structure of the Esoteric School

[etc.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Rudolf Steiner began his spiritualistic career as a Theosophist. In 1904, working as a Theosophist, Steiner established the Esoteric School, which purported to convey secret or hidden (esoteric or occult) spiritual knowledge.

Steiner formally broke from Theosophy in 1913 in order to establish Anthroposophy as a separate spiritual movement. The Esoteric School disbanded after World War I, but remnants of it were incorporated in the School of Spiritual Science, an Anthroposophical institution that Steiner founded in 1923.

Steiner's teachings changed little after he formally left Theosophy (he had called his own teachings "Anthroposophy" even while still nominally a Theosophist). The School of Spiritual Science still functions today at the worldwide Anthroposophical headquarters in Switzerland. Meanwhile, Steiner's followers today continue to consult the teachings he authored during his Theosophical years. 

"Spiritual science" is a term used by both Theosophists and Anthroposophists. For both groups, the term applies mainly to their own belief system, and it is meant to denote the objective study of the spirit realm made possible (they believe) through the disciplined use of clairvoyance. 

For background on all this, see, e.g., "What a Guy" and "Basics". To explore the essence of Steiner's teachings, see "Everything," which examines Steiner's most important book, AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE. Steiner released the first edition of this book in 1909, while still a Theosophist, but he revised it many times before his death in 1925.

— R.R.

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