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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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March, 2012.

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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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From the Ethereal Kiosk:

"[Waldorf] teachers don’t know much about anthroposophy

"Is the claim [above] true? Perhaps it is. Perhaps some waldorf teachers today don’t know much about anthroposophy. I’m talking now about trained waldorf teachers. (I know many waldorf schools have to hire unqualified staff as teachers, people who have neither traditional teacher training nor waldorf teacher training. To assess what they know about anthroposophy is of course almost impossible.) I’ve been told, not a few times, that waldorf teachers today don’t know all that much about anthroposophy, as though this were something good. I suppose it might sound like something that ought to please me — it doesn’t. This topic is loosely connected to another question talked about here recently — would waldorf be better off without anthroposophy? (Or would anthroposophy be better off without waldorf? for that matter.)" 

[3-30-2012  http://zooey.wordpress.com/]

Response:

I, too, have often heard the claim that many Waldorf teachers do not know much about Anthroposophy. In at least some cases, this is undoubtedly true. But it isn't much of a defense. To serve an occult, mystical system that you don't know much about is, quite possibly, worse than serving such a system knowingly and willfully. 

There is another problem, however. In many cases, the denial is obviously false. Waldorf teacher training almost always involves a heavy dose of Anthroposophical doctrine, specifically including study of Rudolf Steiner's writings and lectures. [See "Teacher Training".] Waldorf teachers serve Anthroposophy, and in most cases they do so both knowingly and willfully.

One of the Steiner texts often studied by Waldorf teachers-in-training is STUDY OF MAN, which has also been published as THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE — the first volume in the series Foundations of Waldorf Education. This book is sometimes called the basis of all Waldorf educational practices and beliefs. No one who studies it can honestly claim to be uninformed about Anthroposophy. Beginning tomorrow (April 1, 2012), and continuing for some time, the Quote of the Day feature here on the "news" page will be devoted to passages from that crucial, Anthroposophical text. You will be able to judge for yourself what readers of that book do or don't know about Rudolf Steiner's occult doctrines.

— R.R.

For a summary of the contents of STUDY OF MAN 

(aka THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE)

see "Oh Humanity".

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[SteinerBooks, 2012.]

New from SteinerBooks:

"Rudolf Steiner has said that we must learn to live with the etheric Christ in the Earth’s aura in the same way that the disciples once lived with Christ Jesus on the physical plane. To do this, it is essential to understand what took place between Christ and his disciples. In numerous lecture cycles, Rudolf Steiner spoke about the inner community of the disciples, opening up perspectives that help us see how the disciples accompanied Christ Jesus during the three years of his earthly life and after the Resurrection. Especially in his lectures on the Fifth Gospel, Steiner shed light on the community of the disciples from the viewpoint of the processes of human consciousness that were intimately involved in the events at the beginning of the new era and were inscribed in the chronicle of evolution, the akashic record." 

[3-29-2012 http://steinerbooks.org/detail.html?session=55d373a4d9086c62a63f29bbeed584e6&id=9780880107457]

Response:

The religion that animates Waldorf education is approximately Christian — but only approximately. In Waldorf belief, Christ is the Sun God, the same god who has been known in other religions by names such as Hu and Ahura Mazda. Moreover, although this will come as a surprise to most Christians, in Waldorf belief Christ has already returned — his Second Coming has occurred. But Christ did not return to the physical plane of existence; instead, he returned to the "etheric" plane, the aura or etheric body of the Earth. 

Rudolf Steiner made a great many surprising disclosures about Christ — he had so much that is new to tell us, he provided his own Fifth Gospel, a text that "corrects" the Biblical account of Christ's life and ministry. Steiner gained his knowledge of Christ by using clairvoyance to study the "akashic record" — a celestial storehouse of wisdom accessible to great initiates such as himself. At least, that's what Steiner said, and it is what his followers believe. [For more on these matters, see, e.g., "Sun God", "Akasha" and "Was He Christian?"]

[Rudolf Steiner Press, 2001.]

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From steinerwaldorf.org, “Frequently Asked Questions”: 

“What part do festivals play?

"Festivals, both seasonal and those adapted from the culture that is local to the school, play an important part in the life of the child. These festivals serve to awaken the child’s natural reverence, recognition of the mood that is appropriate for such occasions and a respect for the spiritual essence that exists in us all. Festivals also provide an opportunity for participation and celebration by the whole [Waldorf] school community.” 

[3-28-2012 http://www.steinerwaldorf.org/downloads/pdfs/SWSF-FAQ-201203.pdf]

Response:

Steiner or Waldorf schools are becoming increasingly adept at public relations. When looking at material from Steiner schools and their umbrella organizations, read with care. Festivals can be lovely. They also can be, in essence, religious observances. Note that the festivals at Steiner schools aim to awaken “reverence,” with an eye to “spiritual essence.” The festivals at Steiner schools quite often coincide with religious holidays such as Michaelmas or Palm Sunday. This is significant, but it is not an indication that Steiner observances conform to mainstream religious beliefs. The Steiner religion, Anthroposophy, is distinctly heterodox and even, to a degree, pagan. Here is how Palm Sunday is described in ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, an imprint of Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011): 

“Palm Sunday ... This event is often celebrated in the lower classes of Waldorf schools in a festival that interweaves pagan and Christian elements. The children make a cross of two sticks and decorate it with garlands of boxwood, nuts and sweets. In the middle of the cross a circular twig is attached as a symbol of the sun. A hen, made of bread, is placed atop this as a symbol of vigilance....” [pp. 89-90.] 

For more on Anthroposophical religious practices and beliefs, see, e.g., “Is Anthroposophy a Religion?”, “Prayers”, “Pagan”, “Polytheism”, and “Sun God”. If you want your child to be led toward embracing an unorthodox, polytheistic faith, a Steiner school might be just what you are looking for. But if you have other ideas for your child, you probably should look elsewhere.

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Now on YouTube:

"Rudolf Steiner: Inner Impulses Of Evolution — The Mexican Mysteries And The Knights Templar." 

[3-28-2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U654VX4XL8]

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On the Waldorf Critics site:

"The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship claims...that their 'condemnation of racism' is 'unequivocal' and that they will not 'tolerate racism in any shape or form'. These claims are evidently meant to be reassuring, but they are unfortunately inaccurate. In reality, the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship explicitly endorses, defends, and promotes Steiner's racial teachings, including the racist components of those teachings."  

[3-26-2011  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/23502]

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From the Napa Valley Register [California, USA]: 

"Napa schools to expand wireless technology 

"The Napa Unified School District is launching a $2.1 million effort to expand wireless technology at every school. The project, which will require public financial support, will enable students to use their own computer-enabled devices in the classroom ... Stone Bridge School, an independent charter school within the district, will also not be included in the upgrades. As a school that follows the Waldorf education model, Stone Bridge avoids technology as a learning tool."  

[3-25-2012 http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-schools-to-expand-wireless-technology/article_d945a658-7638-11e1-8049-001871e3ce6c.html]

Response:

Waldorf schools oppose the use of computers and other electrical devices fundamentally because their founder, Rudolf Steiner, taught that using electricity means entering a realm controlled by demons. 

“Electricity [belongs] to sub-nature...in which Lucifer, Ahriman and the Asuras hold sway.” —  Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 35. 

In Anthroposophical belief, Lucifer is an arch-demon who misleads humanity into false forms of spirituality; Ahriman is an arch-demon who misleads humanity into materialism; and asuras are demonic, retarded gods who reinforce the evil impulses of Lucifer and Ahriman. [See “Lucifer”, “Ahriman”, and “Evil Ones”.]

[Rudolf Steiner College Press,

still for sale as of 3-26-2012]

A note added in 2014: You will find references to THE COMPUTER AND THE INCARNATION OF AHRIMAN and pictures of Ahriman on many pages here at the News Annex. Please bear in mind that the items recorded in the annex originally appeared one or two per day, gradually, over time. Thus, items that are now presented near one another were originally separated by reasonably long stretches of time. As for the emphasis I gave to the subjects of computers and demons: The Waldorf attitude toward computers was a hot topic during the years covered by the News Annex.

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At netmums:

Q. “Has anyone got a child or children at a Steiner school ? 

“I would like to speak to some parents that currently have their children in a Steiner school as I am considering one for my son , very long story as to why but I would like to hear your opinions about it and ask a few questions such as if your child moved to Steiner after being at a primary to begin with, how they settled etc and how are they doing academically and socially , how do Steiner schools work with children with learning difficulties, mainly dyslexia and have you ever regretted sending them to a Steiner school or was it the best decision you made” 

A1. “At steiner schools they dont agree with computers/TV/Media Input ( for example your child wouldnt be able to wear a Ben 10 T-shirt to school as that would promote Tv Influences ) My husband's friend is a headmaster at a steiner Academy.” 

A2. “Several of my cousins attended Steiner schools ... They all said, that although the the school was creative, they were dogmatic in their beliefs and this messed with their heads. None of them ever sent their child to a steiner school....” 

A3. “I did a 1 year Steiner teacher training I left because I disagreed with the fundamental principles. I would suggest you look at the core esoteric beliefs before you consider sending your son as it is more of a life style than a school” 

A4. “OK Personally I would say I've seen children with disabilities treated worse in the steiner system than mainstream HOWEVER every steiner school is different. Why not have a chat with your local steiner school and explain your situation to them.....”  

[3-23-2012  http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/children-parenting-190/primary-school-age-4-11-years-60/739536-has-anyone-got-child-children-steiner-school.html]

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From the Sun Star [Philippines]: 

"St. Michael’s Play Garden to host lectures for parents, teachers

“St. Michael’s Play Garden, the only Waldorf-inspired Play School in Cebu City, will be hosting two important events on March 25 and 26.

“A lecture on ‘How Can Human Beings Find the Christ Again’ will be held from 9 a.m. to noon of March 25 ... Resource speaker will be Jake Tan, a lecturer on Anthroposophy and spirituality. 

“...On March 26, Bella Tan, who pioneered Waldorf Education in the Philippines, will give an overview of the Steiner-Waldorf Education entitled ‘The Child's First Seven Years’. “ 

[3-23-2012 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/feature/2012/03/23/st-michael-s-play-garden-host-lectures-parents-teachers-212792] 

Response:

The religious nature of the Waldorf movement is usually kept hidden, but sometimes it becomes plain. [See, e.g., “Spiritual Agenda” and “Soul School”.] 

In Waldorf belief, children develop through three seven-year-long stages, each of which culminates with the incarnation of an invisible body (the etheric body at age seven, the astral body at age 14, and the ego body at age 21). The Waldorf curriculum is geared to these incarnations. [See, e.g., “Incarnation”.]

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From This Is Somerset [UK]: 

“Steiner's theories cause this parent concern 

“It was interesting to see the responses to my letter on the proposed Steiner Free School from Tim Cutting and Alan Swindell ... Mr Cutting says that I am ‘prejudiced’ in my description of Steiner as racist. 

“Steiner [texts include] 20 pages on Jews in FROM BEETROOT TO BUDDHISM [and] an entire chapter of FROM LIMESTONE TO LUCIFER containing, for example '...the Negro race does not belong to Europe, and the fact that this race is now playing such a large role in Europe is of course nothing but a nuisance...' 

“Dutch Steiner followers have agreed that his writings are racist, however that is as far as it got. Steiner/Waldorf organisations worldwide have been asked if they will repudiate some of his writings but have so far declined. 

“[There was] a seminar on November 17, 2009, attended by representatives of the Steiner movement ... Steiner's racism [was treated] as a PR problem, it [was] suggested that teachers should be asked to sign a statement specifically repudiating Steiner's belief system, and it's overt racism, however this was ruled out as it was thought that many teachers would refuse to sign it. 

“...From what I have seen there are very many reasons — and Steiner's racism is just one of them, why the Steiner/Waldorf movement should not get public funds. 

“Can I suggest that far from being ‘prejudiced’ in my allegations of racism, it is laziness — or willing blindness to Steiner's ideas on the part of supporters of the Steiner/Waldorf Free School and the Government that is allowing this project to get off the ground?"  

[3-22-2012 http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Steiner-s-theories-cause-parent-concern/story-15590525-detail/story.html] 

For more on Steiner’s racial doctrines, see, e.g., “Steiner’s Racism”, “Races”, “Differences”, “Forbidden” and “Also Forbidden”. — R.R.

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As usual, an interesting discussion is occurring at the Waldorf Critics website:

"One...question raises an important contextual point:

"'Do you think Waldorf education can exist without anthroposophy? Would it be better off without it?'

"The same sort of question can be posed about biodynamic farming, for instance, or anthroposophical medicine. There are lots of different varieties of alternative education, lots of different varieties of organic agriculture, lots of different varieties of holistic healthcare. Waldorf schooling is an anthroposophist version of alternative education, just as biodynamic farming is an anthroposophist version of organic agriculture, and so forth. If the anthroposophist elements were removed, biodynamic farming would be an unspecified and non-esoteric variant of organic agriculture. If the anthroposophist elements were removed from Waldorf schooling, it would be an unspecified and non-esoteric variant of alternative education. It might well be 'better off,' depending on one's attitude toward anthroposophy and other forms of esotericism, but it wouldn't be Waldorf education any more." 

[3-22-2012 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/23428]

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From the Glen Eden Guardian: 

“Human Rights in Education 

“The story of the three small children expelled from the Titirangi Steiner school in June 2009, has had a further recent development in that the Director of the Human Rights Tribunal [New Zealand] has again offered the parents of the children and the school mediation. Although the parents of the children accepted the offer from the Human Rights Commission the first time, the school refused. That is why the matter has now been referred to the Director of the Tribunal. The good news is that the school has now agreed to mediate [i.e., it has agreed to accept mediation].” 

[3-22-2012 http://glenedenguardian.co.nz/2012/03/human-rights-education/] 

The family presents its side of the dispute at its own website. The school's website is http://www.titirangi.steiner.school.nz/..  

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[Temple Lodge Publishing, 2012.]

◊ What Anthroposophists Read ◊

A recent title from Temple Lodge Publishing: 

“THE SPIRITUAL EVENT OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 

“The Occult Significance of the 12 Years 1933-45 in the Light of Spiritual Science 

“Utilizing spiritual-scientific research methods, Jesaiah Ben-Aharon gives an astonishing first-hand testimony of Rudolf Steiner's declarations regarding the new Christ Revelation, and offers his own findings on the Spiritual Event of the Twentieth Century. Based on occult Imaginative consciousness, he gives a unique account of events which took place in the spiritual world during the war and turmoil on earth in the period 1933-45. His words have a particular significance for an understanding of the work of the grouping of souls which the seer and spiritual teacher Rudolf Steiner called the 'Michael School'. 

“Through coming to a fully conscious comprehension of the Spiritual Event of the Twentieth Century, the author asserts, we may gain the courage needed to renew and enliven the spiritual science of Anthroposophy as 'the universal human language of our age'.” 

[3-22-2012 http://www.templelodge.com/pages/viewbook.php?isbn_in=9781906999315]

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From the South Whidbey Record: 

“The dream of joining the circus doesn’t require any running away at the Waldorf School. Circus Arts curriculum has come to town, thanks to a new movement education program. The students of the Whidbey Island Waldorf School [Washington State, USA] present their first circus arts performance at 11 a.m. Friday, March 23 in the Performance Pavilion of Huckleberry Hall in Clinton.” 

[3-21-2012 http://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/entertainment/143560636.html]

Response:

Odd though it may seem, circus arts are part of the curriculum at some Waldorf schools. Here is an item from May, 2011: 

"Kona Pacific Public Charter School is the first public school in the state [Hawaii] to offer a Waldorf education, known for 'embracing the whole child, heart, hands and mind.' Students practice circus routines as part of the curriculum." [See the News Archive.] 

If nothing else, such “studies” help fill the time in an anti-intellectual educational system that downplays the use of the brain. [See, e.g., “Steiner’s Specific: Thinking Without Our Brains”.]

A note added in 2014:

For more about circuses and Waldorf schools, see the News Annex page for March, 2013.

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From the Online Waldorf Library: 

“An Information and Communication Technology Curriculum for Steiner/Waldorf Schools 

“by William Steffen 

“With very few exceptions our pupils aged 14 and over now have access to and use computers, the internet and mobile phones on a daily basis ... Steiner demanded that pupils in Waldorf schools gain an insight into the working principles of the technological devices they use ... The curriculum model described here is based on the perception that the time has come when our curriculum needs to integrate in a deeper and comprehensive way the reality of this technology that shapes our daily life... [Nonetheless] we accept the fundamental insight and pedagogical conviction that the teaching of ICT [Information and Communication Technology] skills and the use of the computer as a learning tool has no place in our education for pupils up to the age of about 13 (class 7).”

[3-21-2012 http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Journal_Articles/WJP19_steffen.pdf] 

Response:

Waldorf schools generally oppose use of computers by their students. There is an underlying Anthroposophical fear that computers embody destructive anti-spiritual forces. [See “Spiders, Dragons and Foxes”.] But some Anthroposophists argue that the schools need to adapt to the times, and as in most Anthroposophical disputes, the various sides look for justifications in Steiner’s works. (Arguments between Anthroposophists often entail dueling quotations taken from various Steiner books and lectures.) 

Overall, Steiner’s followers are demonstrating increased technological sophistication, making more and more use of Facebook, YouTube, and other high-tech resources to promote their offerings, including Waldorf education. Still, wariness of demonic influences tends to inhibit at least some of their efforts, and computer use in Waldorf schools remains limited.

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Training to become a Waldorf teacher is largely indistinguishable from studying to become an Anthroposophist.

Some of the courses now offered at Rudolf Steiner College [California, USA] as part of their Waldorf teacher training program:

• Cosmic Evolution and Inner Realities of Evolution

• Drawing the Seven Planetary Seals

• Karma and Reincarnation and Biography

• Spiritual Streams and Leading Sun Initiates

• Art History and Sacred Architecture

• Evolution of Religions and Esoteric Christianity

• Astronomy, Astrology, Astrosophy

These courses represent one curricular option. A second option delves less deeply into Anthroposophical doctrines; still, the courses in that option are also informed by Anthroposophical beliefs and practices (e.g., 

• Learning to See the Spirit in the Child 

and 

• Evolution of Consciousness.  

[3-21-2012  http://www.steinercollege.edu/anthroposophy?q=node/1587]

•••

Courses offered at the Sunbridge Institute [New York, USA] as part of their Waldorf teacher training program: 

Inner Development of the Teacher [Year 1]: 

  • Anthroposophical View of the Human Being 

  • Inner Development: “Practical Training in Thought” 

Inner Development of the Teacher [Year 2]: 

  • The Meditative Path of the Teacher 

Inner Development of the Teacher [Year 3]: 

  • Capstone, culminating reflective paper 

  • Relationship of Waldorf Education to Anthroposophy: Foundation Stone Meditation 

The trainees' inner work (i.e., work on their spiritual development) occurs in parallel with other work more focused on the classroom, such as a two-semester course describing child development from an Anthroposophical perspective. 

[3-21-2012 http://www.sunbridge.edu/home/content.asp?pointid=&mid=6&msection=programs&id=24] 

•••

 Re. the course

Relationship of Waldorf Education to Anthroposophy: Foundation Stone Meditation:

[Temple Lodge Publishing, 2006.

Temple Lodge is an Anthroposophical press; 

Rudolf Steiner Press is a distributor for Temple Lodge.]

This meditation was written by Rudolf Steiner and delivered upon the placement of the foundation stone for the worldwide Anthroposophical headquarters, the Goetheanum. From the publisher: 

“THE FOUNDATION STONE MEDIATION  ::  Meditative reflection — strengthening thinking and feeling through the will — is one of the main methods of experiencing Anthroposophy. 'The best path to this goal,' says [author Sergei O.] Prokofieff, 'is inner work with the Foundation Stone Meditation, because this meditation is the quintessence of the whole of Anthroposophy....’ [Subjects include] the relationship of the 'Foundation Stone Meditation' to the being Anthroposophia, the spiritual hierarchies, human karma, the Rosicrucian, Michaelic and Grail streams, the Mystery of Golgotha, the two Jesus children, the three spiritual sources of Anthroposophy, and even the Constitution of the General Anthroposophical Society.” 

[http://www.templelodge.com/pages/viewbook.php?isbn_in=9781902636825] 

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From Waldorf Today (passing along something from the Huffington Post): 

“Healing Our Kids' Soul Fever with Simplicity 

“Quirk+Stress=Disorder, Quirk+Simplicity=Gift 

“Parents across the country know something is wrong. All the hovering, anxiety, medicating, and overscheduling [sic] is giving voice to that parental instinct that knows when our kids and family life are in trouble. And it's true, our kids are in crisis, victims of an undeclared war on childhood, drowning in a sensory tsunami, and because we love them so much, we worry, and we search for solutions, ignoring the voice in our heads telling us that something's off when we greet our kids every morning with a pill to fix them.” 

[3-20-2012 http://www.waldorftoday.com/2012/03/why-the-ritalin-debate-is-asking-the-wrong-question-healing-our-kids-soul-fever-with-simplicity-by-kim-john-payne/] 

Response:

Waldorf schools generally oppose the forces of modernity — according to Rudolf Steiner, the modern world is a soulless, frantic place heavily influenced by the demon Ahriman. Part of the Waldorf response is to turn back the clock, offering kids a quieter, slower-paced, technology-free environment. [See, e.g., “Ahriman” and “Spiders, Dragons and Foxes”.]

There is much to be said for slowing things down and letting kids be kids. But bear in mind that at Waldorf slowing down is accompanied by occult, mystical doctrines — the ideology of Anthroposophy. Don’t send your child into an Anthroposophical environment unless you are sure you understand, and approve, the forces at play there. You can give your child a quiet, loving childhood without buying into occultism. 

[For an overview of the Waldorf belief system, see, e.g., “Nutshell”, “Occultism”, and “Here’s the Answer”.]

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From Horncastle News: 

"Spring heralds leap in funds for parent group 

"Lincolnshire Waldorf Parent and Child Group [UK] held a coffee morning at Horncastle Community Centre on Saturday to welcome the spring. While parents relaxed with a cup of coffee, children enjoyed activities including a treasure hunt, puppet story and song time. This event also raised £350 for the group’s fund. Lincolnshire Waldorf is currently welcoming new members ... To find out more about the group’s philosophy, a day-long course about the Steiner Waldorf approach to the early years has been organised for April 28.” 

[3-20-2012 http://www.horncastlenews.co.uk/news/local/spring-heralds-leap-in-funds-for-parent-group-1-3631008] 

Response:

Parents who send their kids to Steiner schools often wind up feeling deceived — they did not know, before signing up, what the schools are really all about. [See, e.g., “Secrets”, “Coming Undone”, and “Our Experience”.] 

If you have an opportunity to attend introductory/explanatory meetings — at the schools or with any group associated with Steiner schooling — you should certainly go. But go prepared. The information offered in such gatherings is often woefully incomplete. To prepare, see such pages as “Advice for Parents”, “Waldorf Now”, and “Clues”.

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From Waldorf Education in Canada: 

"The Results of Waldorf Education 

"What really are the results of Waldorf (Rudolf Steiner) education? One may feel that the brochures and websites make Waldorf look excellent, and that the goal of 'Education Towards Freedom' is very sound. One may be impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of teachers in a Waldorf school, and admire both the academic and artistic work of the students. But it is good to hear from people outside the Waldorf movement, who have worked together with — or in some other way have had experience of — Waldorf graduates and who have an objective professional basis for judging whether this form of education really accomplishes its goals. 

"The following three short articles, coming from California, New York and Europe respectively, offer just this kind of professional and objective evaluation. 

"The Waldorf Grade School 

" [by] James Shipman History Department, Marin Academy, San Raphael, California. 

“'...What I like about the Waldorf School is, quite simply, its graduates. As a high school teacher at Marin Academy, I have seen a number of the students who come from your program, and I can say that in all cases* they have been remarkable, bright, energetic and involved....' 

"The Waldorf Graduate - A personal Reflection 

" [by] Dr. W. Warren B. Eickelberg Professor of Biology, Director, Premedical Curriculum, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York. 

“'...Waldorf School graduates see behind the facts that often must be repeated or explained on examination. They are keenly interested in the macrocosm of the universe and the microcosm of the cell's ultrastructure, but they know that Chemistry, Biology and Physics [sic] can't tell them much about the nature of love. They see, in embryology, a fetus developing a compound called prostaglandin enhancing the mother's response to oxyticin [sic] so that labor can begin, and they see this as a reflection of a guided universe. I feel certain that all Waldorf School graduates believe in the ordiliness [sic] of our universe, and they believe the human mind can discern this order and appreciate its beauty.'** 

"Research on Waldorf Graduates 

" Excerpts from an article in Der Spiegel, December 14, 1981 (Translated by Renate Field) 

“'...Waldorf schools [are] generally reputed to produce ‘beautiful souls’ weakened to the tasks of real life ... This view is now being shaken by a scientific study of ‘The Educational Background of Former Waldorf Students’ — the first empirical research of the Waldorf Movement ... Three independent scientists, paid for by the Bonn Department of Education, interviewed 1460 former Waldorf Students born in the years of 1946 and 1947 and came to a prevailingly positive result in favor of the Waldorf Schools.'” [3-19-2012 http://www.waldorf.ca/index.cfm?PAGEPATH=&ID=19505] 

Response:

There is very little firm research establishing the value (or lack thereof) of Waldorf education. There has been a bit more such research in Europe than elsewhere, but even in Europe there has been almost no serious investigatory work. The first Waldorf school opened in 1919, and yet now — almost a century later — we are still considering the “first empirical research of the Waldorf Movement.” As for anecdotal evidence, this can easily be compiled on all sides of almost any issue. We can easily find people who report that Waldorf schools seem wonderful to them, and just as easily we can find other people who report precisely the opposite. 

So where does this leave us? If you are interested in a Waldorf school, you should examine that particular school with great care. What happens at other Waldorf schools may give you some guidance, but you should try to determine what goes on at that particular school. There may be considerable variation from school to school. [See, e.g., "Clues".]

Academics is a question mark. Waldorf schools have had problems offering good academic programs, largely because the Waldorf belief system is so at variance with modern knowledge and scholarship in almost all areas. Still, an individual Waldorf school here or there may offer a reasonably good academic education. You won’t know for sure unless you dig. 

The bigger question has to do with the Waldorf belief system per se. This is Anthroposophy, the body of mystical "discoveries" produced by Rudolf Steiner through his professed use of clairvoyance. Most Waldorf schools acknowledge that that they base their work on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, and many acknowledge that these teachings can be summarized as Anthroposophy. But almost invariably, Waldorf schools deny that they teach Anthroposophy to their students. This is the key issue concerning Waldorf education, and again the situation may vary from school to school. Does a particular Waldorf school proselytize the students, bringing occult Anthroposophical doctrines into the classroom, or does it largely refrain from doing this? In either case, Anthroposophy will be a major influence in the school, but the direct effect on students may differ markedly. 

Here is one way to think about this issue. Imagine that you are attracted to a school, only to find that almost every teacher at the school is a Mormon; they base their work on Mormon doctrines; they study the Book of Mormon in faculty meetings. But they assure you that they do not teach Mormon doctrine in class. How reassured would you be? Would you send your child to that school? Or suppose you check out another school only to discover that every teacher there is a Scientologist; they all base their work on Scientological teachings; they study the works of L. Ron Hubbard in faculty meetings. But they assure you that they do not teach Scientology in class. How reassured would you be? Would you enroll your child? 

This is rather like the situation you will find at Waldorf schools. Most of the teachers at a typical Waldorf school are likely to be Anthroposophists. Such a school is almost certainly Anthroposophical to the core. Is this what you want? Think the question through carefully. If you send your child to a Waldorf school, s/he will be immersed in an Anthroposophical atmosphere, to one degree or another. The mystical beliefs of Anthroposophy will inform the classes and activities your child will experience, whether or not the teachers ever clearly, openly explain those beliefs. The effects of this immersion on your child may be lifelong. Is this what you want?

[For more on the question of Anthroposophical indoctrination in Waldorf schools, see  "Indoctrination".]

* The exaggeration weakens this statement, although we should accept it as well-meant.

** In some instances, the beliefs of various "authorities" leap out. This doesn't mean you should reject the testimony of such individuals out of hand, but you should at least understand the perspectives that are being offered to you. 

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From Ecology and Farming: 

"Regulations for Natural Medicines

“Specific therapeutic approaches, such as anthroposophic medicine and homeopathy have a long standing [sic] tradition of using medicines from a natural origin. Such medicines show specific pharmaceutical and therapeutic characteristics. This article looks at how these medicines are dealt with by EU [European Union] regulations today, the problems of availability that this gives rise to (and people’s freedom of choice), and looks at ways in which the regulatory framework could be improved to make these medicines more widely available while guaranteeing a high level of safety.” 

[3-19-2012 http://www.ecologyandfarming.com/artikelen/EF_1_2012_p26-28_Regulations%20for%20natural%20medicines_C%20Mol.pdf]  

Response:

Despite common belief, "natural" is not a synonym for "safe." Many natural substances are poisonous. 

Both the safety and the effectiveness of Anthroposophic medicine are certainly at issue. Such medicine is often practiced within Waldorf communities, sometimes with devastating results. 

[See, e.g., “Steiner’s Quackery”.]

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From the Ethereal Kiosk:

"While browsing my documents I found a helpful little guide for teachers. It’s written by Robin Bacchus (PhD!). He is (or was) a program director at a Steiner teacher training program. The document is called ‘Karma and Reincarnation for Teachers’...." 

[3-19-2012  http://zooey.wordpress.com/]

"Karma and Reincarnation for Teachers" by Robin Bacchus is available at http://beepdf.com/tag/karma.html.]

Karma and reincarnation are basic Anthroposophical doctrines. And as a Waldorf educator has written, 

“[T]he purpose of [Waldorf] education is to help the individual fulfill his karma.” — Roy Wilkinson, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 52. 

[See "Spiritual Agenda", "Karma", and "Reincarnation".]

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[2011, Floris Books] 

◊ What Anthroposophists Read ◊

A pick of the month (March, 2012) at the Rudolf Steiner College bookstore: 

“WISDOM OF THE STARS : Astrology and Spiritual Biography 

"People have been studying the effect of the stars on worldly events for over five thousand years ... [The author], an experienced astronomer and astrologer, traces the development of astrology in human history, looking particularly at how human consciousness has changed in relation to star wisdom ... In the second part of the book, the author introduces a new element for astrology, the death chart, or the 'spirit birth' chart. Whereas a standard birth chart is an image of what a person brings into the start of their life, a spirit birth chart is an image of the fruits of the life they have lived. De la Houssaye argues that this new chart is important for understanding personal spiritual biographies, and could have a significant impact on the practice of astrology.”  

[3-19-2012  http://www.steinercollege.edu/store/product.php?productid=18840&cat=974&page=1]

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[Karine Munk Finser]

Classes for Waldorf teachers and others offered during the summer of 2012 at the Center for Anthroposophy [New Hampshire, USA]: 

“Renewal Courses are designed for a wide range of interests related to Waldorf education and anthroposophy. We offer courses for Waldorf teachers — both new and experienced — along with parents, administrators, trustees, and friends of Waldorf education, as well as for artists and thinkers seeking to deepen their lives through anthroposophy."  [3-17-2012 http://www.centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/renewal-courses/overview/] 

◊ “The Mystical Heart of Abraham 

“This course will explore through discussion, image, story, and meditation what happens if one takes the three Abraham revelations — Jewish, Christian, and Muslim — not as negating one another but as complementary aspects of a single mystery.... 

“Following this path...a new vision of the evolution of consciousness and our present human task begins to emerge: one that allows us to see Anthroposophy in a new light.... 

“...Eurythmy with Cezary Ciaglo [sic].”  [http://www.centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/renewal-courses/week-one/the-mystical-heart-of-abraham/]

◊ “Cancer: Living Forces and the Soul – Experiences near the Threshold 

“In our course we will look at the phenomena connected with different stages of cancer and how the increasing ‘blindness’ of the organism against the illness undermines the body’s inherent ability to develop self-healing powers.... 

“Through an anthroposophical approach the patient can be seen as a spiritual being who existed before birth. From this perspective the disposition for cancer was acquired before conception in the spiritual realm. 

“...Eurythmy with Cezary Ciaglo." [http://www.centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/renewal-courses/week-one/cancer-living-forces-and-the-soul/]

◊ “A Bridge across the Threshold: Creating a Living Connection 

“Building a bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead is a central task of anthroposophy. Rudolf Steiner spoke frequently of the importance of the relationship between the living and those who have passed through the gateway of death. Our thoughts are the ‘fields of grain’ from which the dead gather the harvest that is their sustenance. Our memories of those who have died are like works of art that enrich their world, just as paintings or sculpture enhance our experience of the natural world and our surroundings. By connecting consciously with the dead, they can be present to and for us and contribute to our human striving. 

“...Eurythmy with Cezary Ciaglo.” [http://www.centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/renewal-courses/week-one/a-bridge-across-the-threshold/] 

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◊ What Anthroposophists Read ◊

Now being featured at the Rudolf Steiner Press:

[Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995]

"This collection of special prayers is a wonderful companion for parents and carers seeking to help children on their journey through childhood. There are verses for every occasion: for the mother to speak as the incarnating soul prepares to be born; for the baby after its birth; for very young and older children; as well as prayers for morning and evening, and graces to be spoken at the table.

"The context for the prayers is provided by Rudolf Steiner's lecture at the end of the book, which gives an insight into the larger cosmic relationships that individuals are immersed in before birth, during life, and after death."  

[3-16-2012 http://www.rudolfsteinerpress.com/] 

Response:

Rudolf Steiner's followers usually deny that Steiner was a religious leader. They usually deny that their system, Anthroposophy, is a religion. And they usually deny that Waldorf schools are religious institutions. And yet Steiner wrote many prayers for his followers to use. And they use them. Including in Waldorf schools, where the students are often required to start each day by reciting — aloud and in unison — prayers written by Rudolf Steiner. [You can find two school prayers on pp. 45 and 47 of this book. Also see "Prayers".]

For more prayers used by Steiner's followers, see, e.g., VERSES AND MEDITATIONS (prayers, etc., by Steiner), START NOW! (prayers, etc., by Steiner), PRAYERS AND GRACES (compiled by Michael Jones), MEDITATIVE PRAYERS FOR TODAY (by Adam Bittleston), OUR DEAD (prayers, addresses, etc., by Steiner), etc.

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 Journey School [California, USA]: 

“What happens to Waldorf school graduates? 

“It’s natural for parents to wonder about life after Journey School and how successful Waldorf school graduates are in higher education and beyond. A Research Bulletin entitled Standing Out Without Standing Alone: Profile of Waldorf School Graduates encapsulates the results of the comprehensive Survey of Waldorf Graduates, Phase II. Both the Research Bulletin and full survey are authored by Douglas Gerwin and David Mitchell of the Research Institute on Waldorf Education."  

[3-16-2012 http://www.journeyschool.net/waldorf-school-graduates/ The actual name of the research organization is Research Institute for Waldorf Education; its website, however, appears to be out of commission.] 

Response:

The Waldorf movement is making increasing attempts to muster research (much of it done by supporters of the movement) to bolster the claim that Waldorf education is first-rate. One piece of evidence often advanced is that many Waldorf graduates go on to college and then to successful careers. This seems to be more true for graduates of some Waldorf schools than for others, but it is surely true for some. As with all such evidence, however, care must be taken when reaching conclusions. 

Much independent research indicates that the single most important factor in a child’s success in schooling at any level is the family. A strong, loving, supportive family can make an enormous difference, often enabling children to excel even when other factors are stacked against them. Waldorf schools have usually been selective, private institutions chosen by caring and supportive families. Successes achieved by Waldorf students and graduates may be, in at least some instances, attributable to the families rather than the schools themselves. 

From the beginning, Waldorf schools have been characterized by poor academics. Today some of the schools offer better education than others do, but in general academic standards have been low. [See “Academic Standards at Waldorf”.] The primary reason is that education, as this term is usually understood, is not a high priority in most Waldorf schools. To repeat a quotation used here recently: A former Waldorf teacher has written, 

"The reason many [Steiner or Waldorf] schools exist is because of the Anthroposophy, period. It's not because of the children. It's because a group of Anthroposophists have it in their minds to promote Anthroposophy in the world ... Educating children is secondary in these schools." 

[See "Ex-Teacher 7".] 

Here are some other statements indicating where Waldorf schools place their emphasis: 

• “[Waldorf] education is essentially grounded on the recognition of the child as a spiritual being, with a varying number of incarnations behind him, who is returning at birth into the physical world ... Teachers too will know that it is their task to help the child to make use of his body, to help his soul-spiritual forces to find expression through it, rather than regarding it as their duty to cram him with information....” — Anthroposophist Stewart C. Easton, MAN AND WORLD IN THE LIGHT OF ANTHROPOSOPHY (Anthroposophic Press, 1989), pp. 388-389. 

• “Waldorf education strives to create a place in which the highest beings [i.e., gods], including the Christ, can find their home....” — Anthroposophist Joan Almon, WHAT IS A WALDORF KINDERGARTEN? (SteinerBooks, 2007), p. 53. 

• "Waldorf education is based upon the recognition that the four bodies of the human being [the physical, etheric, astral, and ego bodies] develop and mature at different times.” — Waldorf teacher Roberto Trostli, RHYTHMS OF LEARNING: What Waldorf Education Offers Children, Parents & Teachers (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 4-5. 

• “[T]he purpose of [Waldorf] education is to help the individual fulfill his karma.” — Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 52. 

• “The task of education conceived in the spiritual sense is to bring the Soul-Spiritual [i.e., the combined soul and spirit] into harmony with the Life-Bodily [i.e., the etheric body]." – Rudolf Steiner, STUDY OF MAN (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), pp. 19-20. 

It is not impossible for a Waldorf school to provide a sound, all-around education. But it requires overcoming impediments built deeply into the Waldorf approach.

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A researcher not long ago published findings likely to gladden the hearts of Rudolf Steiner's followers and all other believers in clairvoyance. [See “The Waldorf Teachers’ Consciousness”.] Laboratory proof of ESP had been found! [See “ESP”.] But, almost immediately, the researcher’s results began to collapse. Here is the latest follow-up, from the LOS ANGELES TIMES: 

“Psychic ability study debunked: 

"Steer clear of rabbit hole, psychologists say 

"Psychic ability is real, and here's proof, Daryl Bem said in 2011. It was an exciting claim, but excitement fades with time — and, often, with further investigation. 

 “The social psychologist at Cornell University [New York, USA] did research that he said supported the existence of extrasensory perception. At the end of his paper, he encouraged other psychologists to try to replicate his findings.... 

“Three psychologists have now tried, and here’s what they found: nothing. 

“...A team of three university psychologists tried to replicate “the retroactive facilitation of recall effect” — in essence, seeing into the future — separately at their three colleges. 

“...'We went to great pains' to follow Bem’s exact procedures, psychologist Stuart Ritchie of the University of Edinburgh [Scotland, UK] said, according to Medical Xpress.

"In their article, published in the journal PLoS ONE, they conclude: ‘Our results failed to provide any evidence for retroactive facilitation of recall.’ 

"The researchers...add: Let’s ‘not to venture too far down the rabbit hole just yet.’” 

[3-15-2012 http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-psychic-ability-study-debunked-20120315,0,837931.story]

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From the Stittsfield/Richmond EMC:

"Sir Gawain at Ottawa Waldorf School

"King Arthur and his Knights have visited Stittsville.

"This happened recently at the Ottawa Waldorf School [Canada] where students in the grade 6/7 class presented a play entitled 'Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady', with both parents and fellow students in attendance.

"This tale of King's Arthur's court featured Sir Gawain, the noblest and most faithful of King Arthur's Knights...."  

[3-15-2012 http://www.emcstittsvillerichmond.ca/20120315/news/Sir+Gawain+at+Ottawa+Waldorf+School] 

Response:

Plays and pageants of this kind, with themes taken from legends and myths, are often presented in Waldorf schools. They are colorful and, for many parents, pleasing. What is often not explained is that in the Waldorf belief system, legends and myths are true. Rudolf Steiner taught — and his followers believe — that the characters in ancient myths (gods, giants, heroes...) really existed and, indeed, still exist in some form today. 

Steiner taught, for instance, that the Norse god Thor is real. He is an Angel (i.e., a god one step above humans) who helps humans develop their spiritual "ego" (their divine spiritual selfhood). In order to help us, Thor chose not to evolve to a higher status in the hierarchy of gods: 

“Thor [is] a Being who could have risen to far higher rank had he followed the normal course of evolution, but who renounced advancement comparatively early and remained at the stage of a [sic] Angel ... Thor plays an active part in the implanting of the individual ego [in human beings].” — Rudolf Steiner, THE MISSION OF THE FOLK SOULS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005), pp. 134-135.

Likewise, in Waldorf belief, King Arthur really existed. He was a pagan "initiate" — i.e., he possessed much secret wisdom about spiritual matters. Thus Arthur was, in a sense, a predecessor of Rudolf Steiner, and his knights were his spiritual pupils. 

"King Arthur was a high initiate who made known the wisdom of the [spiritual] mysteries to his pupils." — Rudolf Steiner,  ESOTERIC LESSONS 1904-1909 (Steiner Books, 2007) p. 427.

On the surface, Waldorf schools are colorful, inviting, arts-filled academies. If you scratch the surface, however, you will find fervent belief in a bizarre, occult religion: Anthroposophy.

I realize it is hard to believe that Rudolf Steiner's followers — including kind, well-meaning Waldorf faculty members — believe the things they do. But they do. The tenets of any esoteric belief system may strain the credulity of people outside that system. 

[For more on Waldorf beliefs of the kind I have outlined here, see "The Gods", "Pagan", "Nutshell", "Polytheism", "Oh My Word", "Ego", and "Clues".]

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From Hogeschool Leiden:

"3rd International Scientific Congress of Anthroposophic Medicine

"...In the last decade, significant effort has been made to promote scientific anthroposophic research, wherefore the international Research Council of the Medical Section was founded in 2002. Since the beginning of the 21st century, health care research has become an important field of anthroposophic medicine as well as intensified methodological research."  

[http://www.hsleiden.nl/lectoraten/antroposofische-gezondheidszorg/int-scientific-congres-12] 

Response:

Anthroposophic medicine is often practiced in and around Waldorf schools. In general, there is little scientific evidence to support the precepts or methods of Anthroposophical medicine, but efforts continue to find some. This is difficult, since the central concepts — coming from founder Rudolf Steiner — include stuff such as the following: 

• “[Science] sees the heart as a pump that pumps blood through the body. Now there is nothing more absurd than believing this, for the heart has nothing to do with pumping the blood.” — Rudolf Steiner, FREUD, JUNG, AND SPIRITUAL PSYCHOLOGY, (SteinerBooks, 2001), pp. 124-125.

• “[P]eople may virtually be driven to places where it is possible to get an infection in order to find in this the compensating effects for certain karmic causes within them [i.e., people may need to get diseases to fulfill their karma].” — Rudolf Steiner, MANIFESTATIONS OF KARMA  (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995), p. 167.

• “With pneumonia, the cause is always in the astral body [a nonphysical body]; pneumonia can occur in no other way.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE TEMPLE LEGEND (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1997), p. 60.

• "The ashes that a thought leaves strengthen bones, and so people with rickets do better if they think abstractly.” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM THE CONTENT OF THE ESOTERIC CLASSES, March 14, 1908.

For accounts of personal experiences with Anthroposophic medicine, see "Growing Up Being Made Sick by Anthroposophy" and "Our Brush with Rudolf Steiner". Here is one scene reported by the author of the latter piece. This comes from another of her essays, "Spotlight on Anthroposophy"; it describes the visit of an Anthroposophical doctor to a sick child. The child attended a Waldorf school; the parents had been enthusiastic about Waldorf education. The doctor's visit occurred in the school.

"A seemingly gentle and caring man entered the small room and listened attentively as I tearfully disclosed my family's predicament. Our nine-year-old was gravely ill, depressed, and had lost a lot of weight, because she refused to eat. The Anthroposophic doctor made a diagnosis: my child had lost the will to live. He announced one of the potential cures: we were to give our daughter red, yellow, and orange crayons to color with! I looked at my husband in disbelief. When the doctor instructed us to make the sign of a flame out of Aurum cream over my child's heart at bedtime, I was dumbfounded! I asked the doctor to repeat himself. Indeed, I had heard correctly. I was to make a flame of Aurum cream over her heart at bedtime. Mystified, I asked the doctor what the flame should look like and he showed us with his hand. He told us to apply the gold cream from below the heart upwards, towards the sky at bedtime. I was so baffled by his instructions that he took it upon himself to draw a small diagram of a torso on a prescription pad sheet, with an arrow demonstrating the direction in which the gold flame was to be applied. Some other recommendations were made then he suggested we purchase the medicines from "Uriel," giving us Uriel's telephone number. During this encounter with the Anthroposophic doctor I had an epiphany of sorts. After paying him his fee of $50, we left the school and I turned to my husband and said with certainty, 'We are in a real live cult!!'" — Sharon Lombard, "Spotlight on Anthroposophy", section titled "Doctor".

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From Waldorf Schools Worldwide:

"I am pleased to announce that, as the owner of this group, I have just switched us to an open discussion group. All future discussions will be fully visible, searchable, and shareable on the Web. All past discussions are now closed in a members-only archive. I look forward to our future discussions now joining the broader conversation of the wider Web."  

[http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Waldorf-Schools-Worldwide-is-now-1818894.S.47848546]* 

Response:

There are many discussions of Waldorf education and related topics on the Net, some open, some semi-open or closed, some continuous, some episodic. Here are a few:

Anthroposophy Now

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anthroposophy_now/

Waldorf Critics

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/

Anthroposophy Tomorrow

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anthroposophy_tomorrow/

The Ethereal Kiosk

http://zooey.wordpress.com/]

[Note: Some postings are in English, some aren't

Mumsnet

http://www.mumsnet.com/info/talkinstructions

[Search for "Steiner" or "Waldorf"]

* Apparently this announcement was made months ago; it has reached me through Google Alerts today, March 15, 2012. — R.R.

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From the Elmford Rudolf Steiner School [Stourbridge, UK]:

"55 students from Classes 4, 5, 6 and 7 managed to raise a wonderful £1100 for children with serious illnesses by taking part in Readathon last month. The children set themselves a reading goal (anything from two chapters to twenty books), got sponsors, did the reading over half term and then collected in the money. Readathon, which is organised by Scholastic, raises money for CLIC Sargent Children’s Cancer Charity, Readwell (which buys reading books for children in long term hospital care) and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity."  

[3-15-2012  http://elmfield.com/2012/03/fantastic-fundraising/]

Response:

Steiner education has attractions. Among them: Students are raised in an arts-filled environment, and they are encouraged to lead moral, charitable lives.

Whether these attractions offset other, less admirable features of the Steiner worldview is open to question.

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From the Director of Teacher Education at the Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto, Canada:

"We are fortunate at RSCT [Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto] to be surrounded by a number of anthroposophical initiatives. We share our campus with the Toronto Waldorf School, Arscura School of Living Art, Hesperus Village Retirement Community, Pegasus anthroposophical medical practice, the Anthroposophical Society Library, My Child Myself and a Christian Community Church. There are also a number of anthroposophical initiatives and Waldorf schools within easy reach of our centre: Waldorf Academy, Halton Waldorf School, Trillium Waldorf School, Mulberry Waldorf School and the London Waldorf School as well as others. This allows for a diverse community life and places us in daily contact with students of all ages in the rhythms of a fully-developed Waldorf school community."  

[3-13-2012  http://www.warrenleecohen.com/waldorf-education-in-rio-de-janiero-brazil/] 

Response:

Some Waldorf schools conceal their connections to Anthroposophy; others proudly proclaim them. The reality is that Rudolf Steiner's followers work within an extensive network of institutions and activities, all aimed at promoting the religion called Anthroposophy.* Rudolf Steiner himself sometimes hid the connections between Waldorf schools and Anthroposophy; but sometimes he acknowledged them freely, at least when addressing his followers. Recall a quotation we saw here recently, in which Steiner both states the ties between the school and the wider movement, and explains the reason for exercising caution in revealing these ties: 

“[W]e have to remember that an institution like the Independent Waldorf School with its anthroposophical character, has goals that, of course, coincide with anthroposophical desires. At the moment, though, if that connection were made official, people would break the Waldorf School’s neck." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 705.

When you enter a Waldorf school, you are taking at least the first step toward involvement in the wider Waldorf community, which essentially means involvement in the movement to promote Anthroposophy. Of course, you will not contribute much to the movement until you are won over to its aims, but efforts to convert you will begin soon enough. 

[For a brief survey of the wider Waldorf community and its activities, see "Waldorf Now", "Coming Undone", "Ex-Teacher 5", "Christian Community", "Steiner's Quackery", and "Biodynamics".]

* Anthroposophists usually claim that their ideology is a science, not a religion. Of course, other religions also claim to be sciences (Christian Science, Scientology...), and all religions essentially claim to possess accurate knowledge of spiritual matters, which is the central Anthroposophical claim. To decide whether Anthroposophy really is a religion, you might consider the following: It centers on a panoply of good and evil gods. It is a synthesis of various religions, including Theosophy, gnostic Christianity, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism. The practice of Anthroposophy entails faith, reverence, prayers, meditations, spiritual guides, religious observances, submission to the gods, efforts to fulfill the will of the gods, and other practices indicative of religious faith. Anthroposophy lays out the path to spiritual improvement for its adherents, and it threatens spiritual loss and perdition for everyone else. Anthroposophists believe that they are on the side of the gods, and they believe that their critics are on the side of the demonic powers. In brief, Anthroposophy is a religion. Steiner admitted as much, occasionally. E.g., 

“The mission of Anthroposophy to-day is to be a synthesis of religions.” — Rudolf Steiner, ANTHROPOSOPHICAL QUARTERLY, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain, 1964), GA 130. 

If the component parts of a synthesis are religions, then the synthesis itself is a religion.

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From Pittsfield.com:

"Science Fair Returns to Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School

"Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School [Massachusetts, USA] is hosting its third annual Science Fair on Monday April 2 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the school auditorium at 35 West Plain Rd.

"Students chose their own topic from Earth science, physics, chemistry, astronomy or biology. GBRSS students will demonstrate projects on such diverse topics as cheese making, antique radio restoration, robots, building a catapult, solar ovens, explosives and making furniture with newspaper, to name just a few of the over 40 projects." 

[3-13-2012  http://www.pittsfield.com/story/40713/Science-Fair-Returns-to-Great-Barrington-Rudolf-Steiner-School.html]

Response:

Science instruction in Waldorf schools tends to be backward and, in fact, anti-scientific. Building a solar oven or even a "robot" (i.e., a remotely controlled engine) may be instructive, to some extent. But it teaches far less about real science than framing a plausible hypothesis and then performing experiments to prove or disprove the hypothesis (i.e., using the scientific method). Kids who make cheese, a catapult, or "furniture with newspaper" may be learning even less about real science than those who spend their time building ovens or "robots." 

[For more on the Anthroposophical view of science, see "Waldorf Schools Teach Odd Science, Odd Evolution", "Science", "The Deadly Perils of Rejected Knowledge", and "Steiner and Natural Science".].  

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 From ADDitude Forums:

Q. “We are considering enrolling our 9 year old ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] son in a Waldorf School. Has anyone had any experience with Waldorf Schools and ADHD? I would be interested in hearing about your experiences (the good and the bad). My son currently attends public school and performs at or above average depending upon the academic subject. He struggles with lack of focus, off task behaviors, and impulsivity. He is also a little immature compared to his peers. I have some serious concerns about the public school in which he is currently enrolled. 

A. “We had our son in a Waldorf School and had plan to raise him with that education. We were on a waiting list for 2 years and it worked out that he could start in his Kindergarten year. We ended up pulling him out halfway through the year. It was a devastating experience for all of us. The main issue is that they do everything through the rhythm of the day — routines are cued non-verbally by the teacher as she starts her day and so it goes the entire day. The concept is sound but a child that needs to be redirected or to transition with ‘warnings’ it doesn’t work out so well. They would try to redirect him by taking his hand which resulted in him not understanding and often times a struggle would pursue simply because he had no clue what was going on. Then there comes the issue with wearing layers, changing clothes (they go out in every kind of weather regardless), putting their wooly slippers on, etc. Everything was a struggle and he was labeled a difficult child and every suggestion we had to help him was ignored with we do not really understand what he needs. We tried their Eurythmy Classes and there too he had difficulty with focus they said. So much for letting a child be and the imagination of free play ... Steiner was a brilliant man ... However, we found unstructured environments are detrimental to our son. ... We finally decided to move to an awesome public school district and he is thriving and we have all of the services and staff needed to help him....” 

[3-13-2012 http://connect.additudemag.com/groups/topic/Waldorf_Schools_and_ADHD/]

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The discussion of science instruction at Waldorf schools continues at the British Centre for Science Education:

"I phoned a Waldorf College for Science and Art in my UK town to ask about the science taught there. I was told the students (aged 16 to 19) learn science in their pottery lessons."  

[http://www.forums.bcseweb.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2681&p=36509]

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From Waldorf Education...Why I Love it!: 

“I am so loving everything about the educational experience my girls are engaging in every day. Everyday I find some new, hidden jewel as they relay the happenings of their day. I decided I'm going to write about these small moments ... Did you know there is such a place where time seems to stand still? It's a place where the flow of the day resembles the journey a leaf might make when it lands gently upon the waters of a bubbling brook.” 

[3-12-2012 http://waldorfeducationwhyiloveit.blogspot.com/] 

Response:

Many people love Waldorf, at least initially. But sometimes the love turns to disillusionment. Not always, of course — but pretty often. 

Waldorf offers a dream. It’s an enchanting dream, a beguiling dream. Lovely, colorful, peaceful... 

The question is whether there is any truth to the Waldorf dream. When, for instance, you discover that according to the Waldorf belief system fairies really exist, you may begin to have the answer. And then, sadly, disillusionment may follow. Not always. Not for everyone. But pretty often. [See, e.g., “Neutered Nature”, “Beings”, “Nutshell”, and “Gnomes”.] 

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[SteinerBooks, 2011]

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◊ What Anthroposophists Read ◊

Now being featured at SteinerBooks: 

“THE JOURNAL FOR STAR WISDOM 2012 is a special edition that addresses directly the challenges facing humanity in our time. It includes articles of interest on star wisdom (Astrosophy), as well as a guide to the correspondences between stellar configurations during the life of Christ and those of today ... 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 ... Readers are invited to contemplate the current movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets against the background of the zodiacal constellations (sidereal signs) in relation to corresponding stellar events during the life of Christ. In this way, it becomes possible to open oneself to attune to the life of Christ in the etheric cosmos.” 

[http://steinerbooks.org/detail.html?session=263f4b8780acaa8fdc266a939bc48204&id=9780880106528]

Response:

In the Waldorf belief system, “astrosophy” is essentially astrology revised to be consistent with Rudolf Steiner’s teachings. Astrosophy and/or astrology are big in Waldorf belief. [See “Astrosophy”, “Astrology”, and “Waldorf Astrology”.] 

Steiner taught that Christ came to Earth from the Sun. He remained on Earth just three years, culminating in the Crucifixion of his human host, the man called Jesus. Christ’s essence flowed into the Earth with Jesus’s blood, but Christ himself departed the Earth then. The Second Coming of Christ has already occurred, however. Steiner’s followers believe that Christ has returned, not to the physical Earth but to the etheric realm — an invisible spirit realm above (but permeating) the level of physical existence. [See “Was He Christian?” and “Sun God”.]

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Anyone who doubts that Waldorf education is mystical and/or religious should look into the spiritual training that new Waldorf teachers receive, as well as the continuing spiritual education that veteran Waldorf teachers undertake throughout their careers. Alicia Hamberg, at The Ethereal Kiosk, has helpfully summarized lectures given recently at the New Impulse Conference 2012 at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training [California, USA]. Here are some of the matters discussed in those lectures by Claus-Peter Röh. (I quote from the summaries posted by the conference organizers, then I offer a response in the form of footnotes.) — R.R.

“Nowadays, children are waking up and are being called upon to use their head forces too early [i] ... Our astral body is much better at sensing and exploring an impression, of having a correct feel for it... [ii]

“The curriculum is a vessel that gently carries a child through his development from being one with the world to...looking outward [at] the world [iii] ... The teacher must ask herself of each student, ‘Are the ego and the physical body together in the right way?’ The teacher must then use the curriculum to bring about the balance between the ego and the body. [iv]

Within each lesson there must be a constant breathing from outer (the will) to inner (the ego) ... Forces of soul cultivated early on transform into forces of cognition in later years ... [v] The Waldorf curriculum is filled with wisdom and possibilities to assist each child in his path of development [vi]... 

“Rudolf Steiner indicated that it was our task as teachers to develop the limb man and part of the chest man and then let them awaken the other part of the chest and the head [vii] ... When engaging in sculpture, painting and form drawing, we are working out of the limbs through the will. In music, singing and speech we are working in part from the chest through feeling. If we only worked one-sidedly with these forces, there would be an imbalance ... Through creative and musical activity one can develop the forces needed to bring real meaning to their thinking life, and it this task that brings real purpose to the teacher [viii]... 

“The teacher who radiates this care for the child is not judgmental but interested in seeing the child as a spirit force that comes to the teacher for higher reasons [ix] ... This ability to see the spirit force in a child comes to all of us in ordinary moments of working with children [x] ... [A Waldorf teacher] was struck by the age and wisdom that flashed through the eyes [of a young child]. This is like the flash of intuition that the higher self has in times of trouble. We need this flash to be able to respond to the spirit force in the children [xi] ... So often we do not seek the counsels of the higher self until we have exhausted everything else ... [Claus-Peter] put the three phases of childhood into his own language. The first stage he characterized as ‘Movement into consciousness.’ For the next stage, from 7-14, he gave the phrase ‘We heard the Child.’ Finally he called the last stage of childhood ‘I know you.’ [xii] ... These three ages require three methods. First we communicate to the child in living pictures, then we give the child room to feel heard, then we recognize that the child wishes to be known. [xiii] 

“Claus-Peter spoke about how daily meditation can help us reach deeper levels in our teaching, allowing us really to see the children. We strive to reach beyond our conscious mind, into the realm of living pictures, and even beyond that to the realm of will, so that we will be able to follow through and actually carry out our ideas and plans for teaching [xiv] ... Steiner called meditation the only truly free deed since we don’t need to do it for any outer reason, we must simply want to do it for our own self-development. Claus-Peter discussed the teachers’ meditation given by Steiner and said that every teacher needs to find his or her own way to connect with the meditation; it’s not the same for any two individuals [xv] ... As in meditation when we put effort in and finally get something back from beyond ourselves, in teaching something similar happens when we get something back from the children [xvi].”

Response:

[i] In Waldorf belief, children should not use their heads or brains much until they have developed other "forces," and even then use of the intellect is generally downplayed unless intellect is conditioned by emotion and clairvoyant imagination. Waldorf education generally works to delay the children's "waking up" — young students are meant to be held in a dream-like consciousness as long as possible. [See "Thinking Cap".]

[ii] Steiner taught that in addition to the physical body, fully incarnated humans have etheric, astral, and ego bodies — constellations of developmental, soul, and spirit forces. [See "Incarnation".]

[iii] In Waldorf belief, children arrive on Earth attuned to the spirit realm and the spiritual level of earthly existence. Only slowly does the child settle within her/himself and start to see the world as separate from the self.

[iv] The Waldorf curriculum is not primarily meant to provide a good education, as usually conceived, but to help integrate the various components of the human organism as occultly conceived. The "ego" mentioned here is the ego body or "I"; the "body" mentioned here is the physical body.

[v] By preparing the spirit properly — immersing a child in myths and occult beliefs — Waldorf schools try to ensure that the brain, when it finally wakes up, will understand the universe properly (i.e., in accordance with Anthroposophical belief). [See "Indoctrination".]

[vi] The path of childhood development is the process of incarnating our invisible bodies: the etheric body becomes fully incarnate around age 7, the astral body around age 14, and the ego body around age 21. Waldorf teachers try to help children incarnate properly so that the various parts of each child's being — such as the physical body and the ego body — will be properly balanced. Likewise, various spiritual functions — such as the will and the inner ego force — should be balanced. The primary focus is on the soul with its soul forces, and the spirit with its spirit forces. Steiner differentiated between soul and spirit. The former is the portion of one's spiritual self that exists only during a single incarnation; the latter is the portion of one's spiritual self that is carried from incarnation to incarnation.

[vii] Steiner taught that the human organism has three systems: the head system, the limb/metabolic system, and the chest or trunk system. [See "What We Are".] Each of these, perceived occultly, is a separate "man": the head-man, the limb-man, and the chest- or trunk-man. These "men" embody the "forces" of thinking, willing, and feeling, and each has both lower and higher parts.

[viii] This is the process, mentioned earlier, of developing other forces before emphasizing the capacity for thought.  All parts of the Waldorf curriculum are meant to have mystical impact; the arts in particular are thought to be pathways into the spirit realm. Form drawing is the repetitive sketching of geometric forms, meant to awaken clairvoyant capacities.

[ix] Waldorf teachers believe that their students chose them before birth; a class comes together because of their karmas and in accordance with the will of the gods. A Waldorf teacher thus has immense authority: S/he has this group of children "for higher reasons."

[x] “Seeing” the spirit force within a child — i.e., perceiving the child’s spiritual essence — is a major goal for Waldorf teachers. This requires spiritual or psychic insight, i.e., clairvoyance. Waldorf teacher Eugene Schwartz has described how Waldorf teachers use “everyday clairvoyance” for this purpose. [See, e.g., Schwartz’s WALDORF EDUCATION (Xlbiris, 2000).]

[xi] This is an anecdotal example of the Waldorf approach — a Waldorf teacher perceives a student's spirit reflected in the eyes. Such perception occurs when the "intuition" of the "higher self" (i.e., the clairvoyant power of the spiritually enlightened self) is employed.

[xii] These are the stages of incarnation mentioned earlier.

[xiii] The Waldorf approach is meant to subtly shift as the children grow older and incarnate new capacities. As we saw previously, the teachers attempt to "develop [each child's] limb man and part of the chest man and then let them awaken the other part of the chest and the head." [To examine the Waldorf approach, described in more accessible terms, see “Curriculum” and “Methods”.] "Living pictures" are visualized or clairvoyantly imagined realities — embodiments of the gods' living thoughts. [See "Thinking".] Claus-Peter describes the child gradually emerging to conscious assertion of the ego, awake in the world (as occultly conceived).

[xiv] Like other Anthroposophists, Waldorf teachers use the prayers, meditations, spiritual exercises, etc., prescribed by Rudolf Steiner. [See, e.g., VERSES AND MEDITATIONS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004).] Waldorf teaching cannot be performed properly without these spiritual preparations.

[xv] Steiner prescribed two meditations for teachers. "He...suggested specific exercises and meditations for teachers to help them work more consciously on the Earth on behalf of the spiritual powers [i.e., gods]." — Roberto Trostli, RHYTHMS OF LEARNING (SteinerBooks, 1998), p. 54. “The first meditation describes what our task is: to overcome the abyss between subject and object, inner and outer. The first meditation has to do with Imagination. This meditation is to be done in the evening before preparations and before one’s personal meditations. We are seeking the powers of enlightenment with this meditation ...The second meditation has to do with Inspiration ... In America we should strive to speak the verses in German ... Dawning light...wisdom as seen within. I am the mediator between the above and the below. Steiner gave this meditation to Maria Roeschl Lehrs in the Autumn of 1923, four years after the first was given.” — “Ponderings of the College of Teachers”, http://www.awsna.org/PonderingsCollegeTeachers.pdf]. Steiner summarized the Waldorf teacher's role in these words: "I [the teacher] am the mediator between the divine spiritual world and the child. The child believes me and accepts what I say, but does not yet understand it ... When [in later life] something arises in the soul that was once accepted on trust and is only now understood, we can see that to teach properly we must not consider only the immediate moment but the whole of life. In all that we teach children, this must be kept in view." — Rudolf Steiner, THE SPIRITUAL GROUND OF EDUCATION (Anthroposophic Press, 2004), p. 34. 

[xvi] Waldorf education, as described here, is a spiritual communion between teacher and student. As we have seen, however, the teacher's authority and influence are meant to be great; the child is molded in accordance with Anthroposophical precepts. 

— R.R.

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To see eurythmy being performed (a bit more energetically than usual) at a Waldorf school, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qojp0PKd5vU.

Eurythmy (pronounced yur-ith-me) is a form of spiritual dance created by Rudolf Steiner. It can be both alluring and alarming. The purpose is mystical or religious. In essence, eurythmy is an evolved form of temple dancing, a spiritual discipline meant to produce spiritual effects. 

"In having people do eurythmy, we link them directly to the supersensible [i.e., spirit] world." — Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 246-247.

Eurythmic performances are meant to embody the hidden, spiritual meaning of language. Steiner taught that the gods spoke the universe into being: Their words became incarnated facts. Humans will develop the same power, he said — we will create reality by speaking. This is why the larynx will replace the womb as the organ of procreation.

“The larynx is the future organ of procreation and birth.” — Rudolf Steiner, EVIL (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1997), p. 50.

Eurythmy enacts the mystical processes of spiritual speech. Eurythmic performances are thus a form of spiritual or religious ceremony, as the video (probably unintentionally) makes plain. Such ceremonies are considered so important that at most Waldorf schools eurythmy is required. 

"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. 

In essence, Waldorf schools are, after all, disguised religious institutions. The practice of eurythmy is an important practice of the Waldorf religion, Anthroposophy.

[For more on eurythmy, see "Eurythmy" and "Magical Arts". For the religion implicit in Waldorf schooling, see, e.g., "Here's the Answer", "Spiritual Agenda", "Soul School", and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

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Maypole dance at the Susquehanna Waldorf School

[http://www.susquehannawaldorf.org/support-sws]

From the Susquehanna Waldorf School [Pennsylvania, USA]: 

“Tuition Adjustment Program Introduction 2012-13 

"We are committed to a Tuition Adjustment (TA) Program that is both appropriately responsive to our community while remaining true to the intentions of Waldorf Education. Our program attempts to work out of the original impulse of Waldorf Education and in service to the tenets of the Three Fold Social Order.” 

[3-9-2012 http://www.susquehannawaldorf.org/sites/default/files/2012-13%20TA%20Program%20Introduction%20&%20Instructions.pdf] 

Response:

The "Three Fold Social Order" — the political/social goal set forth by Rudolf Steiner — will be achieved when human institutions are reorganized according to the principle of "threefolding." In essence, this is Steiner's plan for dividing society into three spheres (governmental, cultural/spiritual, economic) that will function independently. Each sphere will operate without interference from the other spheres. 

As for the “original impulse” of Waldorf schooling: Waldorf schools today still try to honor it. But what is it? Here are some indications given by Steiner: 

• “As Waldorf teachers, we must be true anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 118. 

• “Among the faculty, we must certainly carry within us the knowledge that we are [here] to carry out the divine cosmic plan ... [W]e are actually carrying out the intentions of the gods.” — Ibid., p. 55. 

• “One of the most important facts about the background of the Waldorf School is that we were in a position to make the anthroposophical movement a relatively large one. The anthroposophical movement has become a large one.” — Rudolf Steiner, RUDOLF STEINER IN THE WALDORF SCHOOL (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p.156. 

• “[W]e have to remember that an institution like the Independent Waldorf School with its anthroposophical character, has goals that, of course, coincide with anthroposophical desires. At the moment, though, if that connection were made official, people would break the Waldorf School’s neck." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 705.

The "original impulse of Waldorf Education," which persists today, is to create schools that embody Rudolf Steiner's occult vision — Anthroposophy — from top to bottom. (But hush! Don't endanger the schools' necks by making any of this official.)

[For more, see "Threefolding" and "Spiritual Agenda".]

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From yorkregion.com:

"Spotlight shines on top businesses

"[T]he spotlight shone Wednesday evening on the 21st annual Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Awards ... The conservation and environmental sustainability award was presented to Toronto Waldorf School [Canada], sitting on Richmond Hill’s boundary and boasting its a student garden and even chickens and goats."

[3-9-2012 http://www.yorkregion.com/community/article/1314024--spotlight-shines-on-top-businesses]

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From This Is Somerset [UK]:

"Following recent news and correspondence about the [proposed] Frome Steiner Academy, I have now had the opportunity to do a little research.

"On the academy website it says the school's ethos will draw on Dr Steiner's work on child development; but it will neither promote or teach his wider philosophy which is known as 'anthroposophy'.

"I can't find any reference to 'anthroposophy' on the UK Steiner Schools website, however the terms 'Steiner' and 'Waldorf' Schools are trademarks and the ultimate control of the brand name lies with the anthroposophical movement.

"The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship Website states that provisional Steiner School status will be awarded when 'there has been adequate preparation including anthroposophical study'.

"A Government Report, The Woods Report, also clearly emphasises the importance of 'anthroposophy' in Steiner Schools.

"It seems in any event difficult to see how Steiner's work on child development can be divorced from his wider philosophy. Karma, reincarnation and talking to gnomes all feature in his works, and more importantly he saw the role of teachers as being to help children through the cycle of reincarnation.

"More worrying, while I am willing to accept that Steiner wrote the product of a different era, his writings contain many racist comments. These do not appear in the English translations and it seems that some of his followers are having a little difficulty in how to deal with them.

"Now we have the current dire financial situation, it looks as if Frome Youth Centre may well close due to cuts, but don't worry — in a few years when my children are old enough to go to school, taxpayers' money will provide them with teachers to help them through the cycle of reincarnation. Hogwarts for the offspring of Dr Who!

"Is this really a sensible use of taxpayers' money?"  

[3-8-2012  http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Steiner-research-raises-questions/story-15435184-detail/story.html]

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From intentionalfilm.wordpress.com:

"I could go on about why we love Waldorf, but the video I posted does a great job of eliciting the nuances and beauty of the Waldorf philosophy and approach. I admit I teared up a few times during it listening to graduates of the program talk about what Waldorf meant to them. 

"Here are two of my favourite moments at Waldorf so far. When our son started grade one in the fall, each child was led one by one by their kindergarten teacher down the hallway through a flower strewn pathway, and introduced to the grade one teacher. Their teacher shook their hand, gave them a hug, and then they went into the classroom. The ceremony is simple, but a beautiful and gentle introduction into the big school. 

"Then all of the kids in the grade one class were paired with a mentor from the grade nine class. At the very first assembly, the school gathered, and the grade nines brought in their grade one 'buddy' and introduced them to the student body. Then each child was given a rose." 

[3-8-2012 http://intentionalfilm.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/healing-through-education/]

Response:

Many people love Waldorf at first, and some go right on loving it. Significantly, however, many of the people who are now vociferous critics of Waldorf education started out loving the schools only to become disenchanted — and sometimes alienated — by later experiences. The chief cause of disillusionment, typically, is the experience of discovering the occult doctrines on which the schools are built. [See, e.g., “Pops”, “Our Experience”, “Coming Undone”, “Here’s the Answer”, “Spiritual Agenda”, and “Nutshell”.] 

Waldorf schools often abound with charming ceremonies and lovely artworks. Whether they give kids a good education may be a different issue. And whether they lure children toward an occult belief system — often doing so covertly, without the parents' permission — is the biggest issue. [See, e.g., “Occultism”, “Magical Arts”, “Sneaking It In”, “Soul School”, and “Six Facts You Need to Know About Steiner Education”.]

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From the Southern Cross Review: 

"Correspondence about publishing the Esoteric School First Class Lessons 

"The decision to publish the Class lessons was not taken lightly; in fact, I discussed it last year with a group of German and Swiss anthroposophical friends whose judgment I respect. I do not deny, however, that I had already made the decision to do so ... As far as the General Anthroposophical Society is concerned, they considered — and still do — that the only people who should have these lectures are the 'Class Readers'. The Rudolf Steiner Estate, founded by Marie Steiner, did not and does not agree with that position ... You mention what Rudolf Steiner said about the lectures and the mantras 88 years ago – that they are only for members of the Free School for Spiritual Science – and even they could only copy the mantras for their own meditation. When Steiner died in 1925 they didn't know what to do with the Class lessons and it was one of the causes of conflict. The question for me is: Does the Esoteric School exist without Rudolf Steiner? In my opinion it does not.”

[http://southerncrossreview.org/81/ltr-jeremy2.html]

Response:

Rudolf Steiner claimed to possess “occult” — i.e., hidden or secret — spiritual wisdom. His most important book is titled AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE. In that volume, and elsewhere, Steiner revealed much of his secret wisdom. But Steiner also kept a lot secret from the uninitiated. For his followers today, there is a continuing debate over how much to reveal and how much to keep hidden. This is something to bear in mind when considering a Waldorf school. The Anthroposophists on the faculty will almost surely want to guard many secrets from you.

Here is some background. 

• The General Anthroposophical Society is the chief body of Rudolf Steiner's followers, headquartered at the cathedral Steiner designed: the Goetheanum, in Dornach, Switzerland. 

• Steiner founded the Esoteric School in 1904, while he was a Theosophist. Although the name "Esoteric School" is still in use, the School as originally formulated disbanded after World War I. 

• In 1923, having broken from Theosophy to found Anthroposophy as a separate movement, Steiner created the School of Spiritual Science, an outgrowth of the Esoteric School (the remnants of which were incorporated into the new school). Continuing to meet at the Goetheanum today, the School of Spiritual Science conveys occult knowledge, but only to those who have been admitted. The School is largely secretive, although various records and transcripts have been published. 

• The First Class was/is the original class established for the School of Spiritual Science by Steiner, who presided over its original meetings. The Class has continued to function, as old members depart and replacements are admitted. Steiner intended to create other classes, but he died before he could do so. 

• Class Readers play a central role in class meetings, reading Steiner's lectures aloud, over and over, to the gathered members.

[AnthroWiki]

This is the interior of the original Goetheanum as designed by Steiner. (The image is distorted because it has been patched together from a series of photographs taken at varying angles.) The structure consisted of two domes — a small one on the left, a large one on the right — an arrangement Steiner said was important. 

"If you look at the Goetheanum you will see that it has two domes ... [T]his double dome is an expression of the living element. If there had been one dome then in essence our building would have been dead." — Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF MYSTERY WISDOM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 154.

The ceilings display mystical murals. The columns are trimmed with occult, astrological symbols. A large statue of Christ stands at the front of the area to the left. A pipe organ is visible at the rear of the area to the right. The windows, many in the form of triptychs, are etched colored glass bearing mystic images. (The colors in these photos are somewhat bleached out.)

The original Goetheanum, a wooden building, was destroyed by fire. A second Goetheanum — dome-less, and made of concrete — now stands in its place.

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From the Waldorf Institute of Southern California: 

"Threefold Social Ideals & Spirituality in Waldorf Education 

"Do threefold social ideals describe the path of spiritual evolution for human beings today? Welcome to an adventure in discovering and practicing the ideas and practices that earn Waldorf education the right to call itself a revolution! The anthroposophical-spiritual roots of Waldorf education are asking for a revolution in consciousness, a change in thinking from analytical to morphological and pictorial. We will explore how this applies to life in a Waldorf school – from lesson planning to block planning to the threefold operation of the whole school! Singing, rhythmic activities and role-playing will complement our developing imaginations of threefold life. Eurythmy with Rachel Schmid.” 

[3-8-2012 http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5kw08th812e8875&llr=zagbvycab]

Response:

Waldorf education is indeed intended to be revolutionary. Rudolf Steiner prescribed “reforms” for virtually all spheres of human activity: science, the arts, medicine, religion, education... Ultimately, Steiner’s followers would like to reinvent every human institution, remolding all to fit Anthroposophical spiritual ideals. 

“Threefolding” is Steiner’s plan for dividing society into three distinct spheres (political, cultural/spiritual, economic) that would be wholly separate; no sphere would interfere in any other sphere. One benefit of this approach is that Waldorf schools would be free to go their way unimpeded. 

"[T]he threefold social order strives for the complete disassociation of the educational system from government and industry ... The administration of the educational institutions, the organization of courses of instruction and their goals should be entirely in the hands of [teachers]." — Rudolf Steiner, "The Threefold Social Order and Educational Freedom", THE RENEWAL OF THE SOCIAL ORGANISM (Anthroposophic Press, 1985), GA 24. 

Many Waldorf schools attempt to organize themselves in accordance with threefolding, so that participants in various parts of the school do not interfere with one another. Among other things, this means that the board of directors and students' parents should not interfere with the teachers. This organizational paradigm is thought to conform to threefold human nature: we are beings with physical bodies, souls, and spirits. Our physical bodies are our lowest parts. Higher beings, Steiner said, have left their own lower parts behind. They were once like us — they were, in fact, human — but they have evolved further. 

"When we examine the human being we therefore find him consisting of three parts, a bodily, a soul, and a spiritual part ... Those beings, for instance, whom we call Lunar Pitris, or Angels in Christian esotericism, possess no coarse bodily nature ... They passed through the stage of humanity on the Moon and have now ascended higher." — Rudolf Steiner, THE INFLUENCE OF SPIRITUAL BEINGS ON MAN (Anthroposophic Press, 1961), lecture 8, GA 102.

The "pictorial" thinking that Waldorf schools promote is primarily imagination, which in Waldorf belief is a form of clairvoyance. If we all follow Steiner's directions now and become clairvoyant, the needed revolution in human affairs (i.e., the ascendancy of Anthroposophy) will come soon. Otherwise, we will have to wait until we all evolve to Jupiter. 

"On the planet which will replace our Earth, the whole of humanity will have this psychic-consciousness or Imagination, the 'Jupiter' consciousness." — Rudolf Steiner, UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN BEING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1993), p. 30.

(The thinking behind Waldorf schools is not only revolutionary, it is deeply mystical. If you don't know that we, like the Lunar Pitris, have evolved through a lunar period, and that we are on our way to a Jupiter period, you may want to read up. Such knowledge is necessary to grasp what Rudolf Steiner's followers think is going on. See, e.g., "Prehistory 101" and the pages that follow it.)

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Eurythmy at the Alkion Center.

Eurythmy is a form of spiritual dance created by Rudolf Steiner.

Waldorf teacher trainees learn it, 

and Waldorf students are usually required to perform it.

From the Hawthorne Valley Alkion Center, Hawthorne, New York (USA): 

"Alkion Center Now Accepting Applications for 2012-13 

"Hawthorne Valley Alkion Center is now accepting applications for its 2012-13 programs [in Anthroposophy, Waldorf teacher training, etc.] ... [3-7-2012 http://alkioncenter.org/news/alkion-center-now-accepting-applications-2012-13] 

"Waldorf Teacher Training

"The Waldorf Teacher Training Program at the Alkion Center is a three-year, part-time program. The first two years, Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy,* focus on the study of the written work of Rudolf Steiner... [http://alkioncenter.org/waldorf-teacher-training] 

"Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy

"Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy focuses on the study of the written work of Rudolf Steiner and is complemented by intensive artistic work and an introduction to contemplative inquiry. Grounded in the path of inner development, the goal of these courses is to awaken each participant to an awareness of the spiritual basis of our own humanity and its relationship to the being of nature that surrounds us... 

     "The First Year ... The course includes:

          "• Meditative study of Rudolf Steiner's THE CALENDAR OF THE SOUL 

          "• Learning to Breathe with the Senses 

          "• THEOSOPHY by Rudolf Steiner - A Look into the Nature of Being Human: Biography, Destiny and Evolution 

          "• Eurythmy, Painting and Sculpture 

          "• The Development of Consciousness through Music and Art 

          "• Biography Seminars 

          "• [Study of] The Cultural Epochs 

"The Second Year ... The course includes:

          "• The Six Basic Exercises - Meditation, Self Development and Inner Practice 

          "• ESOTERIC SCIENCE by Rudolf Steiner 

           "• PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM by Rudolf Steiner 

          "• Eurythmy, Painting, Sculpture, Music 

          "• History of Consciousness through the Visual Arts 

          "• The Practical Application of Spiritual Science* - Guest Speakers in Biodynamic Agriculture, Waldorf Education, Economics, Medicine, Phenomenological Science and the Therapeutic Arts" [http://alkioncenter.org/foundation-studies]

Response:

Despite what Waldorf schools often claim, Waldorf teacher training generally centers on the occult doctrines of Rudolf Steiner, and these are what new Waldorf teachers bring with them into their work ("the practical application of Spiritual Science...[in] Waldorf Education"). Learning to be a Waldorf teacher is not much different from learning to be an Anthroposophist. After all, as Steiner said, "Anthroposophy will be in the school". [For more, see "Teacher Training" and "Here's the Answer".]

* Rudolf Steiner's doctrines — in essence, the tenets of the new religion he created — are called Anthroposophy. An alternative term often used by his followers is Spiritual Science.

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Free School Survey: 

“A quick survey to capture demand for a FreeSchool Steiner Waldorf education in South London 

“We would like to submit an application to the Department of Education to potentially form a new FreeSchool in south London. We would like your support. Please join us on a Journey for a New Steiner School for London for children aged 3.5 to 18 years of age. 

“Please ignore this survey if it doesn't apply to you & thanks in advance for your help if it does! Also, please forward to anyone you know within the postcodes who has children between the ages of 4 and 18.” 

[3-7-2012 https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FreeSchool]

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From the European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education:

"The philosophy underpinning Steiner Waldorf education is founded on recognition of the human being incorporating a body, a soul and a spirit. The body [sic] of ideas and research activity which inspire the educational principles [or Steiner Waldorf schooling] is called 'anthroposophy', [a word] meaning a thorough and comprehensive study of the full nature of the human being and the world ... Steiner Waldorf educators study and research aspect of anthroposophy in order to inform and develop their work as teachers...."

[With thanks again to The Ethereal Kiosk, downloaded 3-6-2012  http://www.ecswe.org/downloads/statements/ecswe_principlesstatement.pdf]

Response:

Proponents of Waldorf education sometimes deny that Waldorf or Steiner schools base their approach on Anthroposophy — the new religion created by Rudolf Steiner. But sometimes they admit it. And it is undeniably the case. 

Even when they admit their ties to Anthroposophy, Waldorf representatives usually misrepresent the nature of that belief system, calling it a philosophy or a "body of educational principles" or something similarly euphemistic. In fact, Anthroposophy is a mystical system, derived from Theosophy, Hinduism, and gnostic Christianity. It is a religion. [See, e.g., "Teacher Training", "Serving the Gods", "Nutshell", and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] 

Quick clarifications: 

• Various names are used for the schools that base their work on Anthroposophy: Waldorf schools, Steiner schools, Steiner Waldorf schools, and so forth. There is little fundamental difference between them, although some individual schools may be more fervently committed to Anthroposophy than some others are. [See, e.g., "Curriculum" and "Methods".] 

• In Anthroposophical doctrine, humans have both souls (spiritual identities that last for one lifetime) and spirits (immortal spiritual identities that last through all incarnations). 

• According to the same doctrines, humans also have etheric bodies, astral bodies, ego bodies, and various other invisible components. [See, e.g., "What We're Made Of".] 

• The "full" nature of human beings includes all of these, and all of these are taken into account by the Waldorf curriculum. [See, also, "Holistic Education".] 

• A "full" study of the world, according to Waldorf doctrine, means study of prior spiritual stages of cosmic evolution, study of the nature spirits inhabiting our world now, and study of related mystical beliefs. [See, e.g., "Matters of Form", "Everything", "Beings", and "Neutered Nature".] 

•••

To understand Steiner education, you have to look beyond the misleading statements often made by advocates of Steiner education. [See, e.g., "Secrets" and "Clues".] What, for example, is the Steiner or Waldorf understanding of human nature? Much of it has to do with astrology. The following is from a book written by a Waldorf educator who was far more candid than many of his colleagues (note the title of his book):

"Each region of the zodiac can be looked upon as the home of particular spiritual beings and a centre of forces. There are 12 signs of the zodiac and 12 corresponding parts of the human organism ... While the forces of the zodiac correspond to the human physical structure, the planets and their forces are mirrored in the internal organs ... Thus for example: Sun : Heart : Aurum (gold);   Moon : Genitals : argenum (silver);   Mercury : Lungs: Cinnabar (mercury)." — Roy Wilkinson, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 47. 

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From The Ethereal Kiosk:

"racist cake (politics, art, anthroposophy)

"[Y]es, I know what’s in Steiner; I know about the racial hierarchies, about the idiotic statements he made. That was not what drove me to find things out though. It’s not what’s driving me now. Steiner’s racist ideas don’t dictate my choices today. When I despised everything anthroposophical it was not for political reasons related to racism it was for purely personal reasons — call them childish if you like. But they were not about political antipathy or solidarity. And I don’t have these feelings anymore. Thank Dog I don’t. They would suffocate me."  

[3-3-2012  http://zooey.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/racist-cake-politics-art-anthroposophy/]

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From the WaldorfCritics discussion list:

"What is Peter Staudenmaier's primary obsession, that drives everything he writes with regard to anthroposophy, that clouds his understanding of it, and makes him write posting after posting on the subject of 'race' here on the WC [i.e., WaldorfCritics], completely dominating the discussion?" — Sune Nordwall

[3-3-2012 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/23277]

Response:

Sune Nordwall, a paid defender of all things Steiner, has rejoined the discussion at Waldorf Critics. He was removed in the past for persistently making ad hominem attacks.

Peter Staudenmaier is an historian who has delved into the racism inherent in Anthroposophical doctrines, and into the historical intersections of Anthroposophy and fascism. [You can find some of Staudenmaier's work at the website of PLANS, People for Legal and Nonsectarian Schools: http://waldorfcritics.org/articles.html. Staudenmaier is also represented here at Waldorf Watch, for instance on the pages "Steiner's Racism" and "Sympathizers?"]

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From LJWorld.com:

"Local youngsters learning Chinese the natural way: through play

"In the second- and third-grade class at Prairie Moon Waldorf School [Kansas, USA], students marched around the center of the room in a game of London Bridge is Falling Down.

"But while the tune and the motions were the same as the familiar game, something was out of the ordinary — the words definitely were not English.

"Sonia Coady, a Taiwan native, was leading the class in a Mandarin Chinese song. Twice a week during 50 minute sessions, Coady instructs the class in the foreign language. But it’s not in the call and response method many of us had in our high school foreign language classes.

"It’s taught much in the way that preschoolers pick up their native language: through play."  

[3-3-2012  http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/mar/03/local-youngsters-learning-chinese-natural-way-thro/]

Response:

This sounds good, and it might well be good. (Although one reader responded: "This program has little value ... This is a chance for parents and patrons to preen about how valuable this smattering of introduction to Chinese is to children who will quickly forget it once it is gone. Just another faux reason to praise a waste of time. Spend more time on math, reading, good behavior, health education for starters. This will not benefit one child in later life.")

Waldorf schools typically use "slow learning" in the early graded, with lots of emphasis on play, imagination, fairy tales, and the like. As always at Waldorf or Steiner schools, the underlying reasons are occult. In Waldorf belief, young children retain buried memories of their past lives in the spirit worlds, and these should be protected. "

[C]hildhood is a time of contracting consciousness ... [The child] loses his dream-like perception of the creative world of spiritual powers...a dream-like yet intensely real awareness of spiritual worlds. This awareness fades quickly in early childhood, but fragments of it live on in the child for a much longer time than most people imagine ... [I]n a Waldorf school, therefore, one of the tasks of the teachers is to keep the children young." — Waldorf educator A. C. Harwood. [See "Thinking Cap".] 

Also, in the Waldorf view, young children are thought to be engaged in the process of incarnating their "etheric bodies," and most academic education must wait until this process is complete. [See "Incarnation".] 

Waldorf schools typically deny the occult bases of their practices, but their denials are often outright evasions or the result of the innocence of junior faculty members, some of whom may not yet have become dyed-in-the-wool Anthroposophists. [See, e.g., "Secrets". For a description of the typical structure of a Waldorf school, see the Appendix to "Faculty Meetings".]

The most ingenuous defenses of Waldorf schools often come from newcomers who may face a rude awakening later on. [See the "Ex-Teacher" pages here at Waldorf Watch, also "Our Experience", "Coming Undone", and "Pops" — the former are reports by people who have taught at Waldorf schools, the latter by people who sent their children to Waldorf schools.]

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◊ What Anthroposophists Read ◊

New from SteinerBooks:

[SteinerBooks (March 1, 2012)]

“In this important series of lectures, Rudolf Steiner lays out for [Anthroposophical] Society members right and wrong ways of establishing connections with those who have died. Rather than following the materialistic desire to draw those who have died back into the physical realm, Steiner presents a means toward true spiritual union through strengthening one’s forces of consciousness. He also showed how help is provided from the sphere of Christ’s activity as a balance for our time. Steiner stated: 

“’One who sees into the deeper meaning intended by our spiritual science recognizes in it not merely theoretical knowledge about all sorts of human problems, the members [i.e., parts] of the human being, reincarnation and karma, but one looks in it for an entirely different language, a way to express oneself in regard to spiritual matters. The fact that we learn through spiritual science to speak inwardly in our thoughts with the spiritual world is far more important than acquiring theoretical ideas. The Christ is with us even until the end of the world. It is his language that we must learn.’”

[3-3-2012 http://steinerbooks.org/detail.html?session=106809bbdcf7df938cfe3f2126108fd0&id=9781621480006] 

Response:

“Spiritual science,” in Waldorf terminology, is Anthroposophy. Essentially it is the same as “occult science,” which Steiner outlined in his book AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE.* It is the theology that underlies Waldorf education.

Establishing and maintaining contact with the dead is covered in such Steiner publications as LIVING WITH THE DEAD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2002) and STAYING CONNECTED: How to Continue Your Relationships with Those Who Have Died (Anthroposophic Press, 1999). [For a relationship that Steiner claimed to maintain with a dead person, see "Steiner and the Warlord".] 

In Waldorf belief, Christ is the Sun God — the being known in other religions by a variety of 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...." — Anthroposophist Margaret Jonas in the introduction to RUDOLF STEINER SPEAKS TO THE BRITISH (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), pp. 4-5. [See “Sun God”.]

[For information on our parts, see "Our Parts". For information on karma and reincarnation, see — you guessed it — "Karma" and "Reincarnation".]

* In Waldorf belief, the term “occult science” also applies to previous forms of accurate, objective, hidden knowledge of the spirit realm, but only Anthroposophy is considered accurate and objective in the present epoch.

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From the Goetheanum: 

“Anthroposophical Studies in English 

“The flexibility of the ‘Anthroposophical Studies in English’ program permits both the beginner in Anthroposophy as well as the more experienced person to acquire new orientation and depth in the pursuit of Anthroposophy. Not only does each term focus on a major work by Rudolf Steiner, but also the student experiences Eurythmy, Speech Formation, Painting and Drawing, Clay Modeling and Singing on a regular basis. Other presentations augment the ‘Anthroposophical Studies’ and the artistic courses in order to introduce a wide spectrum of activities and cultural impulses resulting from Rudolf Steiner’s work.

"...First Term, September 17 – November 29, 2012” 

[3-3-2012 http://www.goetheanum.org/fileadmin/studium_weiterbildung/Downloads/Studium2012en.pdf] 

Response:

The Goetheanum is the worldwide headquarters of the Steiner movement. Essentially, it is a cathedral. Anthroposophical authorities operating from the Goetheanum strive tirelessly to spread Anthroposophy, which largely means spreading the works and words of Rudolf Steiner. The announcement quoted here reflects Anthroposophical outreach to the English-speaking world. Similar instruction is offered in other tongues. 

It is worth noting that the study of Anthroposophy offered in this announcement is very similar to Waldorf teacher training — study of Steiner's works, plus practice in various arts and skills Waldorf teachers are expected to bring into the classroom. (“Eurythmy” is a form of temple dancing created by Steiner. Usually all Waldorf students are required to do eurythmy.) 

[For more on these matters, see “Goetheanum” (a section of “Is Anthroposophy a Religion?”), “Teacher Training”, and “Eurythmy”. The Goetheanum is named for the poet Goethe, whom Steiner admired. See "Goethe".]

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From Urban Zen: 

"Continuing the Work of the Children's Art for Art Haiti Project

“The Urban Zen team and I joined in the festivities working closely with the children from the Timkatec Orphanage and Children’s Home [in Haiti]. ... Here, the children from Timkatec received the gifts and cards from the Rudolf Steiner School children and in exchange the children from Timkatec painted cha-chas (Haitian maracas) for the children at the Rudolf Steiner School.

“Upon my return to New York City, I delivered the hand painted cha-chas to the children at the Rudolf Steiner School which were then distributed by the school’s hand-work teacher, Mary Lynn Lorinz. The exchange was captivating for both the children in New York and in Haiti. The children in Haiti, who have close to nothing, were able to give something very special to the children in the Rudolf Steiner School. Making the experience even more enriching is that the children at the Rudolf Steiner School had the opportunity to learn about a new culture and the importance of caring for others.” 

[3-2-2012 http://www.urbanzen.org/news/continuing-the-work-of-the-childrens-art-for-art-haiti-project/]

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From soulsofterrorbook.com, a response to news that a school board in Pennsylvania has turned down an application to create a Waldorf charter school: 

“Why Do Waldorfers Avoid the Truth? 

“Nothing here about souls or reincarnation; did they simply forget or are they avoiding explaining their religious/occult foundation in order to secure public funding? Of course, this might violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment [of the US Constitution], meaning no public funding. It must be tricky attempting the delicate dance of looking for public money for these schools while keeping true to the occult foundation as passed down by their master Rudolf Steiner.” 

[3-1-2012 http://soulsofterrorbook.com/blog/?p=174] 

The writer is the author of a controversial thriller about Waldorf schools and Anthroposophy [see “Souls of Terror”]. He invites readers to reply at his blog: http://soulsofterrorbook.com/blog/.

Rudolf Steiner claimed that his extraordinary preachments were the unvarnished truth: He was revealing occult secrets about the true nature of the universe. And in the spirit of spiritual morality, he encouraged his followers to be truthful — up to a point. But he also urged his followers to preserve the secrets that need preserving. [See, e.g., "Secrets".] One consequence is that there is a great controversy hovering over Waldorf schools. Many families decide, after a few months or years associated with a Waldorf school, that they were lured to the school by false promises. Specifically, they often accuse Waldorf schools of disguising their mystical beliefs and purposes. [See, e.g., "Our Experience", "Coming Undone", "Our Brush with Rudolf Steiner", "Help!", "Clues", "Advice for Parents", "Pops", "Moms", and "The Waldorf Scandal". For clear, concise truth about Waldorf education, see, e.g., "Here's the Answer" and "Waldorf Straight Talk".] It is one thing for Anthroposophists to establish schools as part of their missionary efforts. It is something else for them to misrepresent the schools to parents who only want the best for their children.

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Now at UrbanBaby: 

Q. “I was looking into this because their toddler and preschool programs seem really ideal for my DCs but I posted on here a couple of days ago and some of the responses really made me concerned.” 

A1. “...Personally I would highly recommend Waldorf education, especially preschool.”* 

A2. “We have some very thoughtful friends whose kids have all gone through it and they spoke so glowingly that I did some research and took DD to a baby program at our local Waldorf school. For us, way too wacky and pseudo-religious. If you're interested look into the beliefs of Steiner and the principles of anthroposophy....” 

A3. “Education, no. Salad, yes!” 

A4. “If I want my kids to learn that gnomes are real I'll send 'em to Disney.” 

A5. “Einstein said that if want your children to be intelligent tell them fairy tales, if you want them to be brilliant tell them more fairy stories”* 

A6. “Disney? That is part of the problem with our children. Too much media! Fostering imagination and creativity should be what we want for our children, not Disney. <sigh>”* 

A7. “My kids love it. I feel it helps nurture their creativity, which to me is the most important thing a child can learn.”* 

A8. “A steiner education is a comprehensive classical education that takes into account and seeks to develop the whole person. Hwn the children are small they are encouraged to be children to create little environments (yes with gnomes) that they can safely play in - imagination and role play is encouraged....”* 

A9. “The Waldorf school on 79th Street was just too weird for us and we didn't fill out the application.“ 

A10. “My child has flourished in his seven years (and counting) of Waldorf education. 'Weird' and 'wacky'? Yes, in today's society, I suppose the school's connection to the earth, to the soul and spirit (in largely non-religious ways), seems a bit odd....”* 

A11. “IMHO, Steiner is a victim of its own educational theory. Telling 21st century parents that their children can't study a map because until age ___ a child is incapable of understanding a separate place is simply wacky. True story - and no other word for it. 

A12. “After meeting graduates from a Waldorf school, I was amazed! They can hold a conversation with an adult, look me in the eyes, have respect, are confident, have a greater sense of community, are creative and well educated...."*

* “WARNING: It is quite likely that one person posted the positive posts here. The Anthroposophists are so deceitful that they actually have people on the lookout for posts like this to take over. One of them may have started this thread just to be able to respond to it. YES! do your homework...but dig A LOT deeper than what any of the waldorf schools will tell you. It's an esoteric new age cult.” 

[3-1-2012 http://www.urbanbaby.com/talk/posts/54073918] 

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