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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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May 1, 2018

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May 19, 2018

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This site supplements Waldorf Watch.

To go to Waldorf Watch itself, please click here:

Waldorf Watch.

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

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

Many of the items in this archive generalize about Waldorf schools, describing them as Rudolf Steiner and leading Waldorf representatives have said they should be and as evidence shows they often are today. Not all Waldorf schools, Waldorf charter schools, and Waldorf-inspired schools conform to this model precisely. To evaluate an individual school, you should carefully examine its stated purposes, its practices (which may or may not be consistent with its stated purposes), and the composition of its faculty.

— Roger Rawlings

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May 19, 2018 

◊ READINGS ◊ 

CHARLEMAGNE, DRUIDS, 

GNOSIS, AND WALDORF 

Waldorf Publications, 2015

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Defenders of Waldorf education sometimes admit (a bit shamefacedly) that Waldorf originally arose from the bonzo supernatural preachments of Rudolf Steiner. But that was long ago, they say. Waldorf thinking nowadays is bonzo-free, they assure us. 

We must take such assurances with salt. 

The thinking behind Waldorf schools today remains bonzo, and it remains rooted in Steiner’s preachments. 

Here’s an example. This is material from a book that was published recently, in the 21st century, by a Waldorf educational organization. 

The book is AN EXPLORATION INTO THE DESTINY OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL MOVEMENT. The author is Waldorf teacher Fran Lutters. The publisher is Waldorf Publications, at the Research Institute for Waldorf Education. The copyright is held by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). The date of publication is 2011. The book was reprinted in 2015. 

(The material I will quote is a little hard to follow. It is bonzo, after all. I will add some footnotes that may help you navigate through it.) 

…The Lord of world karma is Christ [1] … [T]here are not only good spiritual beings [2], those who serve the Lord of world karma; there are also evil ones who oppose Him … The hosts of the Good are led by the prince of the archangels, Michael [3], and those of Evil [are led] by Ahriman/Satan [4]…. 

…[Rudolf] Steiner…may be called the great teacher of karma and reincarnation [5].… 

When we want to find the origin of [the karma of the Waldorf School] we must go back to the 8th and 9th centuries, the time of Charlemagne [6] … Charlemagne founded the first schools in his realm, and…he learned to read and write himself.… [7] 

[Charlemagne’s grandfather] Charibert de Laon…may be called the spiritual leader of the 8th century … Many of the deep insights into the world of the stars, of nature and the seasons possessed by the Druids [8]…were [known to] Charibert de Laon … [H]e connected these insights [with knowledge] about the Sun God, who had made his abode in a son of humanity [9]…. 

[C]osmic Christianity [10] was taught in the Hibernian (Irish) mystery temples [11] … The Hibernian mysteries…taught knowledge of divine hierarchies [12] … [T]he Hibernian mystery centers [13] taught the wisdom on the ancient mysteries and of the Gnosis [14]…. 

All Gnostic schools and ancient mysteries were eradicated by Rome in the 4th century … [But in] the 8th century world karma had matured to the point that this knowledge could be revealed to humanity … Charibert de Laon was one of those who were able to receive this revelation…. 

— Frans Lutters, AN EXPLORATION INTO THE DESTINY OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL MOVEMENT, pp. 51-53. 

Lutters proceeds to explain that Waldorf schools are modern successors to the mystery centers of yore, especially the Hibernian mystery centers. He says that Rudolf Steiner made this evident in lectures he delivered to teachers at the first Waldorf school. [15] 

The lectures [Steiner delivered on] August 22 and 23, 1919, look like a renewal of the Hibernian mysteries within modern pedagogical striving … It is as if in these lectures we are permitted to tread the path of the Hibernian mysteries again, but now as Waldorf teachers … That which was once sought in the great Hibernian mysteries…finds its renewal in Waldorf school pedagogy…. [16] 

— Frans Lutters, ibid., pp. 149-150. 

So there you have it. This is what Waldorf schools are. This is what the karma of Waldorf education is. "That which was once sought in the great Hibernian mysteries…finds it renewal in Waldorf school pedagogy." 

This is what a Waldorf teacher tells us, anyway. He tells us this in a Waldorf publication released by Waldorf authorities in the 21st century. 

Waldorf Watch Footnotes: 

[1] According to Steiner, Christ is the Sun God. [See "Sun God”.] Christ now presides over the forces of karma, so that he may free us from karma in the future. [See the entry for “Lord of Karma” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia. ] 

[2] These are, primarily, gods. Steiner taught that there are nine ranks of gods. [See “Polytheism”.] 

[3] According to Steiner, Michael — the Archangel of the Sun — is a warrior god who fights on behalf of Christ, the Sun God. [See “Michael”.] 

[4] Ahriman is the chief devil of Zoroastrianism. The god of darkness, Ahriman is the opponent of the Sun God. [See “Ahriman”.] In Zoroastrianism, the Sun God is known as Ahura Mazda. 

[5] Steiner’s followers consider him to have been one of the greatest spiritual masters in all of human history. [See, e.g., “Guru”.] Many of Steiner’s teachings center on Christ, and thus they bear a resemblance to Christianity. Yet in many ways, Steiner's teachings — which constitute the core of Anthroposophy — are fundamentally incompatible with the New Testament. Thus, for instance, Anthroposophy is polytheistic, and it emphasizes such unbliblical doctrines as karma and reincarnation. [See “Karma” and “Reincarnation”.] 

[6] Charlemagne (742-814) was king of the Franks and, later, leader of the Holy Roman Empire. 

[7] I.e., Charlemagne was an educational innovator. As such, he set the example for subsequent educational innovators (such as Rudolf Steiner). 

[8] These were priest/magicians of the Celtic religion, a pagan faith that flourished in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Their teachings included such things as astrology (“deep insights into the world of the stars”), which have been incorporated into the Waldorf belief system. [See, e.g., "Astrology".] 

[9] I.e., he knew that the Sun God had incarnated in the body of a human (Jesus). 

[10] “Cosmic” Christianity is the religion centered on the Sun God who incarnated on Earth; it is polytheistic and gnostic. 

[11] I.e., it was taught by the Druids. Steiner taught that there have been three major streams of spiritual wisdom: a northern stream, an eastern stream, and a western stream. The “Hibernian mystery temples” were centers of secret spiritual wisdom of the western stream. Also called the “Arthurian” stream (for King Arthur), the western or Hibernian stream was epitomized by esoteric Celtic lore. 

[12] I.e., gods. (In Anthroposophy, the nine ranks of gods are subdivided into three major groupings called “hierarchies”.) 

[13] I.e., the Hibernian mystery temples and other centers of secret spiritual knowledge in Hibernian lands. 

[14] I.e., secret Christian or semi-Christian spiritual knowledge. [See “Gnosis”.] 

[15] These lectures provide the rationale for Waldorf education. [See “Oh Humanity”.] 

[16] Lutters modestly qualifies his assertions, here ("look like", "as if"). He defers to Rudolf Steiner, so he does not assert his conclusion dogmatically. But he is clear about his conclusion ("That which was once sought in the great Hibernian mysteries…finds it renewal in Waldorf school pedagogy"). 

— R.R.

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 .May 17, 2018

WONDERFUL WALDORF ARTS 

(AND MYSTERY WISDOM) 

From The Shepparton News [Victoria, Australia]:

Steiner works with the arts 

to lift students 

by BENALLA ENSIGN

Steiner education provides enjoyable and relevant learning through deep engagement and creative endeavour, to develop ethical, capable individuals who can contribute to society with initiative and purpose.

Mansfield Steiner School principal Fran Cummins said Steiner education was a “highly respected international educational movement” with more than 1050 schools in 60 countries. 

Ms Cummins said Steiner education was future-orientated and the holistic style underpinning this pedagogy supported the healthy wellbeing of children…. 

“The Steiner curriculum…is based on the unfolding development of the child…with a strong emphasis on teaching through the arts and experiential learning,” Ms Cummins said.… 

[5/17/2018    http://www.sheppnews.com.au/regional/2018/05/17/144838/steiner-works-with-the-arts-to-lift-students] 

Waldorf Watch Response:

Articles in local media, especially small newspapers, tend toward boosterism. If a business or other institution is local, the reporters generally boost it. This understandable tendency accounts for much of the glowing treatment Waldorf or Steiner schools often receive in small media outlets.

Today's article in The Shepparton News is a particularly striking example. The reporter has become, in effect, a Waldorf PR spokesperson. She uncritically passes along the self-promoting claims made by a Waldorf representative, conveying these claims as if they were factually true. This is particularly evident in the first paragraph quoted above, in which enormous claims are made (Waldorf education is "enjoyable," "relevant," etc.) without attribution. At least in the following paragraphs, we glean that the reporter is repeating the views of Fran Cummins, the principal of the local Waldorf school.

Some of what Ms. Cummins says about Waldorf education may be true, but the article provides no evidence. And certainly the article does not dig to learn whether any of Ms. Cummins' claims are untrue.

If a reporter were to dig, she would at least learn that Waldorf's "future-oriented" and "holistic" approach is rooted in occult mysticism. Virtually everything at a Waldorf school stems from the esoteric, spiritual fantasies propounded by the founder of Waldorf education, Rudolf Steiner.

Let's focus on a single example, the subject identified in the Shepparton News headline: art. Waldorf schools do indeed place great emphasis on art. Waldorf students typically paint and draw and make music and stage plays of various kinds and listen to stories and myths and epics. Waldorf schools often seem almost indistinguishable from arts academies, and they are often quite beautiful as a result. Many families are drawn to the schools for this reason alone.

Art is surely a wonderful thing. Children surely benefit from deep exposure to art. But to understand the unique Waldorf approach to art, we need to consult Rudolf Steiner. If we do this, we will find, for instance, that one Steiner book about art is titled ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998). Another is titled ART AS SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF MYSTERY WISDOM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996). 

Hello? Mystery wisdom?

What Steiner means is that the arts arise from hidden spiritual knowledge of the sort he claimed to possess. Art comes to us from the gods, he said, and it provides a way for us to contact the gods. (Yes gods, plural. The Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy, is a polytheistic religion. [See "Polytheism".])

Thus, Steiner made statements such as this:

“This is what gives art its essential lustre: it transplants us here and now into the spiritual world.” — Rudolf Steiner, quoted in THE GOETHEANUM: School of Spiritual Science (Philosophical-Anthroposophical Press, 1961), p. 25.

When Steiner said such things, he meant them literally. He taught that gods descend to Earth through artistic elements such as beautiful colors, musical tones, and graceful dance movements. And he said we can rise into the spirit realm through the same elements. For instance, here's something he said about eurythmy, a special form of dance practiced in Waldorf schools (and invented by one R. Steiner):

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

Note that Steiner speaks of "having" people do eurythmy. This is what happens in Waldorf schools. The students are generally required to do eurythmy. This form of mystical movement is considered central to the Waldorf curriculum. Eurythmy links people directly to the spirit realm.

Or consider a special type of painting that is usually stressed in Waldorf schools: "wet-on-wet" watercolor painting. In this type of painting, large wet brushes are used to apply thin watery paint to paper that is itself already wet. The resulting images are indistinct floods of color in which no distinct forms or shapes are visible. Why would Waldorf schools want to promote such painting? Because the images produced conform to Steiner's description of the spirit realm:

“You see, when the soul arrives on earth in order to enter its body, it has come down from spirit-soul worlds [i.e., the spirit realm] in which there are no spatial forms ... But though the world from which the soul descends has no spatial forms or lines, it does have color intensities, color qualities. Which is to say that the world man inhabits between death and a new birth [i.e., between incarnations on Earth] is a soul-permeated, spirit-permeated world of light, of color, of tone; a world of qualities not quantities; a world of intensities rather than extensions.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE ARTS AND THEIR MISSION (Anthroposophic Press, 1964), p. 23.

In having their students create such paintings, Waldorf teachers link the students to the spirit realm (or the teachers think this is what they are doing). The teachers enact the religious beliefs of Anthroposophy no less than when they "have" the students do eurythmy, or play musical instruments, or immerse themselves in fables and myths.

The arts at Waldorf schools provide a form of Anthroposophical religious experience (or they are meant to do so). Waldorf schools are, ultimately, religious institutions. And the religion is Anthroposophy. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

You may want to send your children to a religious school. But before sending them to a Waldorf school, make sure you can embrace the religion found there.

[For more in the arts in Waldorf education, see "Magical Arts", "Lesson Books", and, e.g., "Eurythmy".]

— R.R.

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 .May 16, 2018

NEWS BRIEFS

1. SPIRALING

Photo by Caitlin Fowlkes 

Siskiyou School Administrator Aurilia McNamara, left, 

and artist Livi Gower unveil a new mural on Friday.

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From Ashland Daily Tidings [Oregon, USA]:

The spiral loops back — and out

BY CAITLIN FOWLKES

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is equal to the sum of the two before it. Any two successive numbers create a ratio very close to the golden ratio forming a spiral, which is found in many natural phenomena such as galaxy spirals, hurricanes and flowers.

This idea inspired Livi Gower’s Ashland High School senior project. Gower, a Siskiyou School alumnus, donated a unique Fibonacci sequence mural to the school Friday morning.... [The Siskiyou School is a Waldorf school in southern Oregon; it consists of grades 1-8.]

"The Fibonacci spiral and the Fibonacci sequence is the best way that I can explain in a visual way Waldorf education, and especially the Siskiyou School, and how they approach education because the Fibonacci sequence is a visual representation of something very linear,” Gower said.... 

...The mural now hangs in the courtyard of the Siskiyou School....

[5/16/2018   http://dailytidings.com/news/education/the-spiral-loops-back-and-out    This story originally appeared on May 15.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Ms. Gower's mural may be even more appropriate as a representation of Waldorf education than she realizes. Her design, resembling an enormous mandala, consists of numerous spiral forms. Mandala-like images, and spirals, have great significance in Waldorf thinking.

◊ Mandalas — or images resembling mandalas — are common in Waldorf schools. Students are often asked to create such images, sometimes in arts classes, sometimes in geometry classes. [See, e.g., "Lesson Books" and "Mystic Lesson Books".] As aids to meditation, mandalas are believed to have great spiritual power, and geometric designs resembling mandalas hold a special place in Waldorf doctrine. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, taught that the study of geometry promotes the development of clairvoyance. “Basic geometric concepts awaken clairvoyant abilities.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOURTH DIMENSION: Sacred Geometry, Alchemy, and Mathematics (Anthroposophic Press, 2001), p. 92. [See "Mystic Math".] Geometric mandalas thus have the potential for advancing the students' spiritual development, as conceived in Anthroposophy. [See, e.g., "Knowing the Worlds".]

◊ Spirals are employed in mystical or religious observances in Waldorf schools, especially observances of Advent. In a darkened room, in silence or to the accompaniment of hymns, young Waldorf students walk along a spiral path, lighting and carrying candles. On other occasions, spirals may be traced and walked outdoors. [See the entries for "spiral", "Spiral of Light", and "spiral walks" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.] Moving along spiral paths has deep spiritual meaning and power, Steiner indicated. “[W]e must expand through seven turns of a spiral, each time moving through all twelve signs [of the zodiac], thus passing a total of seven times through twelve points. Imagine gradually expanding into the cosmos along a spiral path. Having circled through twelve signs for the seventh time, we arrive at divine spirit.” — Rudolf Steiner, ACCORDING TO MATTHEW (SteinerBooks, 2003), p. 92.

2. A SCARE

From The Berkshire Eagle [Massachusetts, USA]:

Bomb threat prompts evacuation of 

Berkshire Waldorf High School in Stockbridge

By Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle

STOCKBRIDGE — Police are investigating the source of a bomb threat Tuesday that prompted the evacuation of the Berkshire Waldorf High School.

A call from a "fake number" came in to the Stockbridge Police about noon from a male who said he planted pipe bombs in the school lockers and that he had "full magazines," according to Police Chief Darrell Fennelly. 

Town police arrived and evacuated students and staff to the gym at the Stockbridge Town Offices before checking the school and determining there was no danger....

[A]s they waited in town for their school to be declared safe, one student after another said they found the threat to their private school of 45 students to be "surreal," and reflected upon finding themselves less insulated from broader societal trends than they may have previously thought...

Stephen Sagarin, the school's director...said that in his 33-year teaching career, he's never seen a bomb scare. When asked if he had any suspicions about who the caller might be, he said he had no idea.

"My suspicion is that it's not someone related to our community," he said.

[5/16/2018   http://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/bomb-threat-prompts-evacuation-of-berkshire-waldorf-high-school-in-stockbridge,539652]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools generally aim to be safe havens — they want to shelter their students from the dangers, turmoil, and allurements of the outside world. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't. When outside forces create problems for Waldorf schools, there may be little lasting effect. After the troubles pass, the schools can reconstitute themselves, erect their protective barriers again, and proceed much as before. Sometimes, however, troubles arise from within. Despite the reflexive denial that anyone "related to our community" could be at fault, Waldorf schools are sometimes shaken by internal crises. Sometimes these are severe enough to threaten the schools' continued existence. [See, e.g., "The Waldorf Scandal", "Slaps", and "Extremity".] It will be interesting to learn who phoned in the bomb threat that created the "surreal" disruption at the Berkshire Waldorf School.

We might note a couple of tangential points in passing. Stephen Sagarin, faculty chair at the Berkshire Waldorf High School, is the author of THE STORY OF WALDORF EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES (SteinerBooks, 2011). A former editor of the Research Bulletin of the Research Institute for Waldorf Education, he has a blog called "What Is Education?" 

We probably should also note the extremely small size of the Berkshire Waldorf High School: 45 students, according to The Berkshire Eagle. Proponents of Waldorf education often claim that theirs is the fast-growing independent school movement in the world. The implication is that the Waldorf movement is large and rapidly expanding. In reality, however, many Waldorf schools are minuscule, and the overall rate of the movement's expansion is not terribly impressive. There were somewhat fewer than 1,000 Waldorf schools worldwide in 2010 [see "Waldorf Now"], and today there seem to be somewhat more than a 1,000. New Waldorf schools are created fairly often, but not all survive, and some of the survivors are tiny. Still, the Waldorf movement has big ambitious, and it certainly bears watching.

— R.R.

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 .May 14, 2018

LETTERS, NUMBERS, 

PLAYING

From The Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]:

Literacy and numeracy push 

sidelining play in early years

By Pallavi Singhal

A push to ensure students have core literacy and numeracy skills by the age of eight will significantly reduce time for play, and is the opposite of what is being done in leading school systems such as Finland, according to Sydney principal Andrew Hill.

Mr Hill, head of Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School, said tests such as NAPLAN [National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy], which students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will sit on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, could be affecting teachers' ability to build skills such as creativity and collaboration in the early years....

...Mr Hill said that formal reading and writing instruction should be delayed to better match the "natural rhythm of children" and lay down proper foundations for learning....

Mr Hill said students at his school begin being taught literacy and numeracy in year 1 [i.e., first grade] and it usually takes about two years to establish those skills.

He said that parents usually withdraw students from the NAPLAN tests in the early years but the school generally performs well in later years....

[5/14/2018 https://www.smh.com.au/education/literacy-and-numeracy-push-sidelining-play-in-early-years-20180514-p4zf6j.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf or Steiner schools often seek exemption from the academic requirements set by education officials. Proponents of Waldorf education claim that the Waldorf approach is better attuned to the natural maturation process of children, and it attains excellent results over the long term. 

Let kids be kids. Let them play when they are young. Put this way, the Waldorf approach seems sensible. Adding references to Finland's excellent school system (a system that bears in superficial similarities to Waldorf), and alluding to desirable attributes such as creativity and collaboration (which actually have only secondary importance in the Waldorf scheme of things), may buttress this impression. But many serious, contentious issues lurk below the apparently sensible Waldorf surface.

A particularly controversial part of the Waldorf approach is delaying instruction in math and reading until kids are at least seven years old. Children aren't ready for these academic disciplines until then, Waldorf proponents say — but once Waldorf students are ready, they catch up with students at other types of schools.

One consequence of the Waldorf approach is that Waldorf students are denied early-childhood instruction in basic academics, which many education experts say is invaluable. In a larger sense, the Waldorf approach raises the question whether a school should intentionally delay the development of its students in any sphere of education.

To understand the Waldorf approach, we need to know what Waldorf spokespeople mean by such phrases as the "natural rhythm of children." This "natural rhythm" is the unfolding of the developmental stages of childhood, as conceived by the founder of Waldorf schooling, Rudolf Steiner.

Steiner taught that child mature according to a natural sequence of seven-year-long phases. [See "Most Significant".] During the first seven years, a child primarily develops his/her physical body. Then, at age seven, the "etheric body" incarnates. This is an invisible body of formative or life forces. [See "Incarnation".] The etheric body (like other bodies that come later) is perceptible only through the use of clairvoyance. Children are not ready for academic brainwork, Steiner said, until the first seven-year phase is completed and the second phase has begun.

Problems with the Waldorf approach become immediately apparent. Does the "etheric body" exist? Does clairvoyance exist? Is there any basis for believing in the cycle of seven-year-long childhood phases? If not, then the rationale for Waldorf education is seriously undermined. [For more on this rationale, see "Oh Humanity".]

Of course, a pragmatic evaluation of Waldorf schooling might overlook these issues and simply focus on academic results at the end of, let's say, the second seven-year period, when students are about 14 years old. Waldorf students should have caught up with their peers by then, or they might even have surpassed their peers. Mr. Hill says students at his school do well in later years. This may or may not be true — a careful study would need to be made. [See the section "Waldorf Graduates" in "Upside".]

But an academic evaluation of Waldorf schools may miss the point. Waldorf schools often have low academic standards [see "Academic Standards at Waldorf"]; this can be taken almost as a given. The aims of these schools lie elsewhere. For the the sake of argument, however, let's accept the proposition that Waldorf schools eventually provide at least an acceptable level of instruction in most subjects. Would these school pass muster, then? Would you want to send your child to one?

Go back to the issue of etheric bodies and clairvoyance. These mystical conceptions open a door to the occult Waldorf worldview. Waldorf schools are fundamentally wed to an mystical, esoteric belief system: Anthroposophy. Virtually everything at these schools derives, to one degree or another, from the phantasmagoric doctrines of Anthroposophy. [See, e.g., "Soul School".] The underlying purpose of Waldorf schools is to serve and spread Anthroposophy. [See "Here's the Answer".] Although Waldorf spokespeople usually deny it, Waldorf schools strive to lead children toward the strange beliefs espoused by Anthroposophists. [See, e.g., "Spiritual Agenda".] These fantastical, otherworldly beliefs are woven throughout the Waldorf curriculum. [See "Sneaking It In".] Not all Waldorf students succumb to the indoctrination practiced by these schools [see "Indoctrination"], but many students do succumb, to one degree or another [see "Who Gets Hurt?"].

The ultimate question about Waldorf schools is not whether they manage to provide a more or less acceptable academic education. The ultimate question is whether children should be sent to schools that aim to indoctrinate them in Anthroposophy. The indoctrination may be subtle. It may be mild. It may often miss its target, leaving some students unscathed. But do you really want to send your child to a school that will try to steer your child — even if only subtly, even if only mildly — toward Anthroposophy? You probably should consider doing so only if you yourself are an Anthroposophist.

— R.R.

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May 12, 2018

CHRIST, KARMA, 

AND INITIATION 

Rudolf Steiner Press, 1994

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Currently spotlighted at the Rudolf Steiner Archive & e.Lib.:

FROM JESUS TO CHRIST

[by] Rudolf Steiner

In these lectures, Steiner shows how the Mystery of Golgotha [1] can be seen as the pivotal event of human history, and the Gospels as initiation documents [2] that can help us on a path of spiritual development. He demonstrates how the religious streams of Zarathustra and Buddha [3] helped prepare the way for the events of Palestine. [4] Steiner's emphasis is on rediscovering the esoteric path to Christ [5] and of awakening to the new revelation breaking through in our time: Christ as the Lord of Karma. [6]

[5/12/2018    http://www.rsarchive.org]

Waldorf Watch Response:

The "Christianity" observed in Anthroposophy and in Waldorf schools is unlike anything you will find in authentic Christian denominations — it is Christianity as reconceived by Rudolf Steiner. This means it is a form of gnostic Christianity interwoven with teachings derived from Theosophy, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and other spiritual traditions. It is a polytheistic faith that incorporates such unbiblical doctrines as karma and reincarnation.

Steiner considered the New Testament to be flawed. He rectified the flaws by creating his own "Fifth Gospel" containing what he said are the truths about Christ's descent to the Earth and his ministry in the bodily form of Jesus. [See "Steiner's Fifth Gospel".] To give an extremely brief summary: Steiner said that Christ is the Sun God (otherwise known as Apollo, Hu, Baldr, and so on) who incarnated in the body of a man named Jesus. Christ stayed on Earth for just three years. Jesus was an ordinary human being except for certain unique features in his lineage. There were actually two Jesuses, Steiner said — two Jesus children, each born to parents named Mary and Joseph. One Jesus had the soul of Zarathustra, the other had the spiritual essence of Buddha. One of the two Jesuses died so that his inner being could migrate into the other Jesus, thereby creating a human vessel containing both Zarathustra and Buddha. It was into this compound person that the Sun God descended, thereby creating a human vessel containing Zarathustra, Buddha, and the Sun God. [See "Was He Christian?" and "Sun God".]

The following notes may help illuminate Steiner's teachings on some of these matters:

[1] Golgotha is Calvary, the hill on which Christ Jesus was crucified. The Mystery of Golgotha is the spiritual mystery of the incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus — as explained by Rudolf Steiner. To put this most simply, we might say that the Mystery of Golgotha is the miraculous incarnation of the Sun God in the body of a human being. "His [i.e., Steiner's] phrase 'the Mystery of Golgotha' refers to the redemptive, world-transforming presence of Christ in Jesus." — Robert McDermott, THE NEW ESSENTIAL STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 2009), p. 40.

[2] I.e., the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) contain spiritual secrets that, when properly understood, lead to occult initiation. The concept of initiation is crucial in Anthroposophy. Important spiritual information is hidden from us — it consists of "mysteries." We can learn the truths of these mysteries only when we become initiates — that is, only when we have been inducted into the inner circle of spiritual savants. Steiner professed to be a very high initiate, and he said he could show his followers how to become initiates. [See "Knowing the Worlds".] Many Anthroposophists, including numerous Waldorf teachers, consider themselves to be initiates.

[3] Zarathustra was the Persian prophet, also known as Zoroaster, who founded the religion known as Zoroastrianism. (In Anthroposophy, Zarathustra is said to predate Zoroaster. Zarathustra lived long ago, then he was reincarnated as Zoroaster, and later yet he was reincarnated as one of the Jesus children.) Buddha is Siddartha Gautama, a Nepalese prince who attained complete spiritual enlightenment, thereby earning the title of "buddha" (enlightened one). Buddhism is the religion based on his teachings, meant to enable devout followers to become buddhas in their own right.

[4] I.e., the events of, and surrounding, the life of Christ Jesus.

[5] Anthroposophy is gnostic — that is, it emphasizes the importance of spiritual knowledge, as distinct from faith or good works. Specifically, it emphasizes hidden, occult, mysterious spiritual knowledge that must be attained through the process of spiritual initiation. [See "Gnosis" and "Inside Scoop".] Faith and good works are also important in Anthroposophy, but they are secondary to occult knowledge.

[6] Steiner taught that all humans are subject to karma, which we create for ourselves. (Your karma is your fate or destiny created by the sum of all your actions in your past lives. The doctrine of karma is closely connected to the doctrine or reincarnation.) To be truly free, and to rise to ever higher levels of spirituality, we must break free of karma eventually. Christ enables us to do so, Steiner taught. Christ has already returned — the Second Coming has already occurred, according to Steiner. Christ exists now in the etheric region surrounding the physical Earth. From his location there, Christ acts as the Lord of Karma, giving us the potential to free ourselves from karma so that we may evolve to the Future Jupiter stage of cosmic development. [See "Future Stages" and the entry for "Lord of Karma" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

If you want to delve further into these matters, you should certainly study FROM JESUS TO CHRIST, as recommended today by the Rudolf Steiner Archive & e.Lib.

— R.R.

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 .May 11, 2018

THE LIMITATIONS OF SCIENCE   

AT WALDORF SCHOOLS  

From Waldorf Today, Newsletter #404: 

The Wonder of Natural Sciences 

in Waldorf Schools 

A recent study by the Austrian government found that Waldorf graduates have a greater aptitude and affinity for the natural sciences than their peers. Why is that? What makes the Waldorf approach to science education so special, and so effective? 

[5/11/2018    https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=a0ce04e5a70babb8ef1330163&id=e8b1f34989] 

Waldorf Watch Response:

Terms such as “aptitude” and “affinity” can be slippery. What precisely can we affirm about science instruction in Waldorf schools? 

In general, science courses tend to the weakest parts of the Waldorf curriculum. Rudolf Steiner’s followers tend to view modern science askance, distrusting its findings. In this, they follow the example set by Steiner himself. Steiner opposed “scientific simpletons” [1] with their “scientific trash” [2] and their “logical, pedantic, narrow-minded proof of things.” [3] He deplored “primitive concepts like those...of contemporary science.” [4] What is wrong with science? "[S]cience speaks under the influence of the demonic Mars-forces." [5] Hence, "[W]hen we listen to a modern physicist blandly explaining that Nature consists of electrons...we raise Evil to the rank of the ruling world-divinity.” [6]  

[See “Steiner’s ‘Science’” and “Science”.] 

Steiner and his followers prefer “Goethean science” — they want to study natural phenomena in the way advocated by the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). The problem with this is that Goethe's principles are essentially unscientific. [See "Goethe".] A "Goethean scientist" projects preconceived ideas about spirit onto the physical phenomena s/he observes. As attractive and comforting as this approach may be, it is thoroughly unscientific. [See, e.g., "Steiner and the Natural Sciences" — a critique by Nobel Prize winner Max von Laure.]

Waldorf science teachers are in a difficult position. They must be true to Steiner, but this means they must be false to science.

“The teacher of the physical sciences in the Rudolf Steiner school is faced with a formidable task. He cannot morally be present in the school and teach unless he has absorbed, understood, and is in agreement with Rudolf Steiner’s basic conception of the world. This presupposes a spiritual origin of the physical world ... Material science and explanations [i.e., straight physical science] cannot explain nature.” — Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson, TEACHING PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY (Rudolf Steiner College Press, 1997), p. 1.

Teachers of science in Waldorf schools face a daily dilemma. If they teach their sciences straight, they violate Steiner’s doctrines. But if they are faithful to Steiner, they must violate the established truths of modern science.

Accepting the truths of modern science would open a Waldorf science teacher — and Waldorf students — to the terrible influences of the arch-demon Ahriman. [7] Here is a Waldorf teacher explaining how he and his colleagues could fall into the temptation offered by Ahriman if they operated as ordinary, competent science teachers:

"How easy it is to succumb to this temptation [offered by Ahriman], for all of us strive to be competent, to master our task and our material, to do things well. Yet if we succumb, we begin to turn our students into materialists with their feet rooted in the earth, their gaze focused downward. [8] Ahriman would like to turn human beings into completely physical beings. He works to wed humans to the earth and reduce them to creatures of instinct. By giving in to his temptation, we aid him in his task." — Roberto Trostli, "In Matter, Spirit — Science Education in the Waldorf School", RESEARCH BULLETIN, Research Institute for Waldorf Education, Autumn/Winter 2013, Vol. 18 , #2.

Teaching science straight is not just a mistake, from an Anthroposophical perspective. It is demonic. It causes teachers and students to lose their souls. Steiner said so.

◊ “Everything that has arisen in recent times in the way of materialistic science and industrial technology is of an out-and-out ahrimanic nature [9] ... [I]t would chain human beings to the earth. Human beings would not progress to the Jupiter evolution. [10]” — Rudolf Steiner, GUARDIAN ANGELS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2000), p. 55.

◊ "[T]oday...the spirit-soul [11] is asleep. The human being is thus in danger of drifting into the Ahrimanic world [12], in which case the spirit-soul will evaporate into the cosmos. We live in a time when people face the danger of losing their souls to materialistic impulses. This is a very serious matter. We now stand confronted with that fact." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 115.

Modern sciences represent an evil temptation that may destroy humanity. Trying to avoid this horrible prospect causes Waldorf science teachers to steer away from scientific reality:

"[I]f schools follow Steiner's views on science, education will suffer. Steiner believed that materialism was insufficient for the understanding of nature. He believed that science needs to 'go beyond' the empirical and consider vitalistic, unobservable forces ... Anatomy and physiology a la Steiner are unrecognizable by modern scientists: the heart does not pump blood; there are 12 senses ('touch, life, movement, equilibrium, warmth, smell,' etc.) corresponding to signs of the zodiac ... Physics and chemistry [as taught at Waldorf] are just as bad: the 'elements' are earth, air, fire, and water. The four 'kingdoms of nature' are mineral, plant, animal and man. Color is said to be the result of the conflict of light and darkness. Typical geological stages are Post-Atlantis, Atlantis, Mid-Lemuria, and Lemuria. [13]" — Eugenie C. Scott, "Waldorf Schools Teach Odd Science, Odd Evolution", National Center for Science Education. [See http://www.waldorfcritics.org/articles/Eugenie_Scott_94.html.]

Despite what "a recent study by the Austrian government" may or may not have indicated, the truth is that science instruction in Waldorf schools is often woefully deficient.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] Rudolf Steiner, THE KARMA OF UNTRUTHFULNESS, Vol. 1 (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005), p. 276. 

[2] Rudolf Steiner, THE RENEWAL OF EDUCATION (Anthroposophic Press, 2001), pp. 93-94. 

[3] Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 240. 

[4] Rudolf Steiner, HOW CAN MANKIND FIND THE CHRIST AGAIN (Anthroposophic Press, 1984), p. 54. 

[5] Rudolf Steiner, “The Spiritual Individualities of the Planets” (THE GOLDEN BLADE 1966). 

[6] Rudolf Steiner, "Concerning Electricity", ANTHROPOSOPHIC NEWS SHEET, No. 23/24, June 9, 1940. 

[7] See "Ahriman".

[8] I.e., the physical sciences direct our attention to the material world and away from spirituality. This is Ahriman's aim, "to turn human beings into completely physical beings."

[9] I.e., having the nature or character of Ahriman.

[10] According to Steiner, humanity will progress by entering the next incarnation of the solar system, called Future Jupiter. Any humans who fail to reach Future Jupiter will be lost. [See "Future Stages".]

[11] I.e., the combined soul and spirit. (Your soul is your spiritual identity during one incarnation, Steiner taught; your spirit is your eternal spiritual identity.)

[12] I.e., a demonic region ruled by Ahriman. [See the entry for "Ahrimanic world" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[13] According to Anthroposophical belief, humanity lived on the continents of Lemuria and Atlantis before the dawn of the modern era. There is no scientific basis for this belief. [See "Lemuria" and "Atlantis".]

— R.R.

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 .May 10, 2018

◊ READINGS ◊

THE ENORMOUS IMPORTANCE  

OF WALDORF SCHOOLS  

Waldorf faculties tend to have an extraordinarily exaggerated view of their own importance. They think Waldorf schools are crucial to the continued evolution of humankind. They are, in this sense, on a messianic mission. [See "Mission".]

The following, written by a Waldorf teacher, is from a Waldorf text published in the 21st century. I have added some explanatory footnotes.

"A Waldorf school is more than just another independent school that provides a developmental education. [1] It is an organization that seeks to allow the spiritual impulses of our time [2] to manifest on earth in order to transform society [3] ... Steiner described the founding of [the first] Waldorf School as a ceremony within the Cosmic Order [4] ... [T]he founding of every subsequent Waldorf school also has cosmic significance ... [W]e may celebrate the founding of a Waldorf school because it strives to bring the soul-spiritual [5] into the realm of human life.” — Roberto Trostli, “On Earth as It Is in Heaven”, Research Bulletin, Vol. 16 (Waldorf Research Institute, Fall 2011), pp. 21-24.

Waldorf schools are important to the "Cosmic Order." The founding of every new Waldorf school is a cause for celebration because of the spiritual significance of the Waldorf movement. Waldorf schools serve the will of the gods — they enable "spiritual impulses" from on high to be enacted upon the Earth.

Rudolf Steiner taught that humanity is evolving from an extremely primordial condition to ultimate apotheosis. We will become gods. Indeed, we will become the highest gods. And Waldorf schools serve to promote this evolution.

Anthroposophists believe that we have evolved as the solar system has incarnated and reincarnated over and over. The gods have overseen this process, and it has been for our benefit. The first incarnation of the solar system — the first stage of our evolution — was a period called Old Saturn. This was followed by periods called Old Sun and Old Moon. We now live at an evolutionary stage called Present Earth (we live on the physical planet Earth during a period of cosmic evolution in which the other planets of the solar system also exist as separate worlds). When this stage ends, the solar system will next incarnate in a form called Future Jupiter, which will be followed by Future Venus, and then Future Vulcan. [See "Future Stages" and "Vulcan".]

This is a portion of a chart from THE TEMPLE LEGEND, 

a collection of Steiner lectures (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2009), p. 357; color added.

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The main thing that has happened during this evolution, Steiner taught, is that we have risen to higher and higher states of consciousness. During Old Saturn, we were essentially comatose. During Old Sun, we reached a consciousness similar to deep sleep, and during Old Moon, we rose to a consciousness akin to light dreaming sleep. Now, during Present Earth, we have ordinary waking consciousness. During Future Jupiter, we will attain perfected imagination — a form of clairvoyance, "Jupiter consciousness". During Future Venus, we will attain a higher stage of clairvoyance, perfected inspiration — "Venus consciousness." And during Future Vulcan, we will attain a still higher stage of clairvoyance, perfected intuition — "Vulcan consciousness."

Waldorf schools here and now play a crucial role in all this (or so the devout members of Waldorf faculties believe). Waldorf schools here and now emphasize imagination, inspiration, and intuition among the students because they are laying the foundation for humanity's attainment of higher levels of these mental stages on Jupiter, Venus, and Vulcan. The sort of imagination fostered in Waldorf schools is not a stage of perfected clairvoyance; it is — generally speaking — just imagination. But it is meant to foster in children a consciousness that will lead to clairvoyance eventually, if not in this life then in a future life, and if not during Present Earth then during Future Jupiter. The same holds for inspiration and intuition. Waldorf schools emphasize these because they are supposedly linked to clairvoyance.

Not every Waldorf teacher believes all this. Not every Waldorf teacher is a devout Anthroposophist. But for the true-believing followers of Rudolf Steiner who work in Waldorf schools, these beliefs are virtually gospel truths.

This is why the founding of new Waldorf schools should be celebrated.

Or not.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] Waldorf education is "developmental" because it is keyed to the incarnation of a series of invisible bodies — the etheric body at age seven, the astral body at age 14, and the "I" at age 21. The arrival of these bodies marks the developmental stages of childhood, according to Anthroposophical teachings. [See "Incarnation".] 

[2] In Waldorf belief, these impulses are summarized in Anthroposophy.

[3] Anthroposophy seeks to remake all human institutions; it is a revolutionary movement. [See, e.g., "Threefolding".]

[4] I.e., a divine cosmic event, overseen by the gods.

[5] Anthroposophists believe that humans have both souls (spiritual identities during a single incarnation) and spirits (immortal spiritual identities).

— R.R.

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 .May 9, 2018

STEINER SCHOOL 

TRYING TO STAY ALIVE 

The struggling Steiner school in Kings Langley, UK, declares that it will remain open at least for the beginning of the coming fall term. Beyond that, however, it can make no promises. The government's Office for Standars in Educations (Ofsted) has ordered the school to cease operations.

The following is from The Hemel Gazette [Johnson Publishing, UK]:

Rudolf Steiner bosses say that 

school is “highly likely” to remain open 

throughout 2018-19  

and blame falling student numbers 

[on] Ofsted reports and bad press

By Ben Raza

Bosses at Rudolf Steiner School [in Kings Langley] say the school WILL be open when the next academic year starts – but that there are “no guarantees” it will remain so. 

Student numbers have fallen by almost a fifth at Rudolf Steiner School since the safeguarding saga began. 

In March 2015 the Kings Langley School had 387 students. 

But by February 2018 that had fallen to 334. 

And the school expects that figure to have fallen to 315 when the next academic year begins in September.... 

A school spokesman...blamed the falling pupil numbers primarily on the repeated problems with Ofsted inspections, and with negative media coverage. 

A series of inspections have criticised the school, culminating with the government threatening to close the school altogether. Another Ofsted inspection is expected during the summer term. 

The school is currently appealing against [the closure order].... 

[5/9/2018   https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/rudolf-steiner-bosses-say-that-school-is-highly-likely-to-remain-open-throughout-2018-19-and-blame-falling-student-numbers-of-ofsted-reports-and-bad-press-1-8482936   This story originally appeared on May 1; notification did not reach Waldorf Watch until May 9.]

For previous coverage of the situation at the Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, see news accounts from May 2, April 28, April 19, and April 14, 2018.

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May 8, 2018

WALDORF AND 

THE EDITING WARS

From The Wall Street Journal:

The 15 People Who Keep 

Wikipedia’s Editors 

From Killing Each Other

By Corinne Ramey

Wikipedia editors got locked in a dispute several months ago….

Foul language flew. The arguments spiraled out of control. So another editor brought the matter to the online encyclopedia’s top jurists….

Wikipedia, the vast online crowdsourced encyclopedia, has a high court. It is a panel called the Arbitration Committee [ArbCom]…which hears disputes that arise after all other means of conflict resolution have failed….

The court…hands down sentences, ranging from editing bans on particular users…to restrictions on contentious pages. Among the topics where ArbCom has authorized editing restrictions: abortion, acupuncture, American politics, genetically modified organisms, the tea party and Waldorf education....

[5/8/2018   https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-wikipedias-bickering-editors-go-to-war-its-supreme-court-steps-in-1525708429   This story originally appeared on May 7.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Proponents of Waldorf education, especially those who actually work in Waldorf schools, are often zealous in their efforts on Waldorf's behalf. 

When disparaging comments about Waldorf show up in online discussions, defenders from within the Waldorf ranks often rush forward with contrary arguments. When a Waldorf school here or there gets bad reviews online, excellent reviews are often written in-house and posted. And when critics of Waldorf education attempt to insert their views on the Wikipedia pages dealing with Waldorf, Steiner, Anthroposophy, etc., their efforts are often met with a concerted campaign to make these pages as laudatory as possible. There have been mighty tussles at Wikipedia between pro- and anti-Waldorf contingents.

All of this complicates matters for people who simply want to get an objective assessment of Waldorf. Parents considering Waldorf schools for their kids would like to find straightforward, reliable assessments of such schools. But, sadly, such assessments are difficult to find. Wikipedia has attempted to reach a balanced view of Waldorf, but because the encyclopedia depends on crowdsourcing, it is vulnerable to manipulation.

Where can you turn for objectivity about Waldorf? The best you can do, perhaps, is to consider the statements made by Waldorf proponents and weigh these against the statements made by Waldorf critics. You may wind up a little confused and more than a little skeptical, but this may not be bad. It might enable you to make your own judicious assessments. One leading pro-Waldorf website you might consult is Waldorf Answers; an excellent anti-Waldorf site is People for Legal and Nonsectarian Schools. [For other sites on both sides, see "Links". For some assistance in evaluating Waldorf schools, see "Clues" and "Waldorf Straight Talk".]

One large complication is that the Waldorf movement is based on a belief system, Anthroposophy, that is "occult" — it consists of hidden spiritual lore, lore that is largely withheld from the uninitiated. Rudolf Steiner's most important book is titled OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE. [See "Everything".] Several other Steiner books also include the word "occult" in their titles. Steiner used the word to mean "hidden" or "mysterious." Anthroposophy, the "occult science" concocted by Steiner, is a body of secret teachings. [See "Occultism".] 

In his books and lectures, Steiner revealed a great deal of his secret lore, but by no means all of it. (Thus, he provided an "outline" of his occult science, but not all of the details.) Initiation — the process of being granted entree into secret, inner circles — remains an important part of Anthroposophical belief and practice. Initiates get to learn to hidden truths; outsiders are barred. [See, e.g., "Inside Scoop".]

The purposes of Waldorf education, consequently, are shrouded in careful evasions. Many Waldorf teachers think they are initiates; many think they possess clairvoyant powers that lets them probe mysteries that are closed to you and me. And, in practice, they are often secretive around outsiders. [See "Secrets".]

Steiner explicitly instructed Waldorf teachers to mislead outsiders. Thus, for instance, he said this to Waldorf teachers:

"We must worm our way through. We have to be conscious of the fact that this is done in life...in response to external requirements. We have to be conscious that in order to do what we want to do...it is necessary to talk with [outsiders], not because we want to but because we have to, and inwardly make fools of them." — Rudolf Steiner, CONFERENCES WITH THE TEACHERS OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL IN STUTTGART, Vol. 1 (Steiner Schools Fellowship Publications, 1986), p. 125.

Along these lines, Steiner told Waldorf teachers to disguise their practice of requiring their students to begin each school day by reciting prayers (usually, prayers written by Steiner himself). Don't call these texts "prayers," Steiner said — call them "verses":

“We also need to speak about a prayer. I ask only one thing of you. You see, in such things everything depends upon the external appearances. Never call a verse a prayer, call it an opening verse before school. Avoid allowing anyone to hear you, as a faculty member, using the word ‘prayer.’” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 20. [See "Prayers".]

Or, to give another example, Steiner told Waldorf teachers to conceal their belief that some people are not really human:

“I do not like to talk about such things since we have often been attacked even without them. Imagine what people would say if they heard that we say there are people who are not human beings ... [W]e do not want to shout that to the world.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, pp. 649-650.

So hush, Steiner said. Remember the importance of external appearances. Do not shout our secrets to the world.

— R.R.

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 .May 7, 2018

WALDORF WISDOM: 

GNOMES AT SCHOOL

Among the volumes currently offered at Waldorf Books are the following. I will quote from the descriptions given at the site:

Teach Wonderment, 2009

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A Donsy of Gnomes

7 gentle gnome stories

Written and Illustrated by Sieglinde De Francesca

A Donsy of Gnomes* is just one of the dearest books ever. The wee folk who live in it will become fast friends with all the young children who get to meet them … [T]his will be one of the books that will remain alive in your children’s hearts long after they have grown and have children of their own.

* A "donsy" is a gathering of gnomes. — R.R.

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Floris Books, 2010

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Over the Hills and Far Away

Stories of dwarfs, fairies, gnomes and elves from around Europe

Edited by Els Boekelaar and Ineke Verschuren

Illustrations by Daniela Drescher

Stories of dwarfs, fairies, gnomes and elves – as well as nature beings by other names – are among the most universal in humanity’s storytelling pantheon … These stories invite the child into the heart of the world….

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Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005

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Nature Spirits

Selected Lectures by Rudolf Steiner

Long ago human beings had an natural spiritual vision that allowed them to easily commune with the spiritual beings of the natural world. Over time, people became less able to see and know these beings, and fairies, gnomes, dwarfs and other “little folk” became the stuff of legends, myths, and children’s stories. Rudolf Steiner was among the first of our modern age to insist that these folk tales and fairy stories were in fact based on reality – spiritual reality … [Steiner's lectures] offer ways in which we as individuals can once again befriend the “wee folk” who carry with them the health of the Earth.

[5/7/2018   http://www.waldorfbooks.com/?s=gnomes]

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Waldorf Watch Response:

Visitors at Waldorf schools are often charmed to see, in the classrooms, sweet gnome figurines, and gnome dolls, and paintings and drawings of gnomes. A magical, semi-mystical, perhaps whimsical atmosphere seems to prevail in these gnome-filled rooms. How cute.

What is usually not immediately apparent is that, according to Waldorf belief, the beings represented — gnomes — are real. [See "Gnomes".] Rudolf Steiner taught that there are four types of "nature spirits" that dwell within the "four elements" of nature. The physical world is an outward manifestation of the operations of these invisible beings, Steiner taught. Gnomes are the nature spirits that dwell within the element called earth. Sylphs dwell within air. Fire spirits or "salamanders" dwell within fire. And undines dwell within water. [See "Neutered Nature".]

These beings really exist, Steiner said. And Steiner's followers today, including many Waldorf teachers, accept this as the truth.

When young Waldorf students spend their days in classrooms populated by gnomes, and when the kids are told multiple stories about gnomes over and over, and when the children are led to make drawings and paintings of gnomes — they are being introduced to the Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy. They are receiving subtle, sweet, but potentially long-lasting Anthroposophical religious instruction. They are being introduced to concepts that "will remain alive in [their] hearts long after they have grown and have children of their own." They are being invited "into the heart of the world" as conceived in Anthroposophy — the world as it really is, according to Rudolf Steiner.  [See "Sneaking It In" and "Fairy Tales".]

Outsiders may be incredulous; they may resist the idea that Steiner and his followers could possibly believe in gnomes. But such beliefs are in fact part and parcel of the Anthroposophical worldview, and they are gently conveyed to students in Waldorf schools. Look at the description, above, of Steiner's lectures about nature spirits. Steiner taught that people long ago had natural clairvoyant powers ("Long ago human beings had an natural spiritual vision") that enabled them to communicate with invisible entities such as gnomes ("[they could] easily commune with the spiritual beings of the natural world"). Modern humans have largely lost this power, Steiner said, but fairy tales about gnomes and other nature spirits preserve the ancient knowledge of these beings. And these stories are true; they convey real information about the real world ("Rudolf Steiner was among the first of our modern age to insist that these folk tales and fairy stories were in fact based on reality – spiritual reality").

Kids like fairy tales. And lots of people, young and old, find images of gnomes pleasing. But don't be misled. The Waldorf emphasis on gnomes is — beneath the cute surface — quite serious. Hard as it may be to believe, Steiner's followers think that gnomes (and sylphs, and undines, and fairies, and elves, and Norse gods, and legendary figures such as King Arthur) are real. They believe in these beings.

And if you send your child to a Waldorf school, the teachers will likely try to nudge your child toward believing, too.

◊ “There are beings that can be seen with clairvoyant vision at many spots in the depths of the earth ... If you dig into the metallic or stony ground you find [them] ... Many names have been given to them, such as goblins, gnomes and so forth....” — Rudolf Steiner, NATURE SPIRITS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995), pp. 62-63.

◊ “A gnome is only visible to someone who can see on the astral plane [i.e., see past physical manifestations], but miners frequently possess such an astral vision; they know that gnomes are realities.” — Rudolf Steiner, FOUNDATIONS OF ESOTERICISM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1982), lecture 27, GA 93a.

◊ “Fairy tales are never thought out [i.e., invented]; they are the final remains of ancient clairvoyance, experienced in dreams by human beings who still had the power. What was seen in a dream was told as a story ... All the fairy tales in existence are thus the remnants of the original clairvoyance.” — Rudolf Steiner, ON THE MYSTERY DRAMAS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1983), p. 93.

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May 5, 2018

DEATH OF A STEINER CRITIC —

CORONER'S VERDICT 

The death of a leading British critic of Steiner education has been declared a suicide. The following is from GlouchestershireLive:

Stroud woman who died on railway crossing 

was fighting Steiner school plans

She died in December last year 

[by] John Hawkins 

The reason why a Stroud woman died on a railway crossing close to her home may never really be known, an inquest heard today. 

Former teacher Helen Saunders had been 'vigorously' fighting plans for a new Steiner school near her home and also had recently had an argument at work, the Gloucester inquest was told. 

But coroner Katie Skerrett said it was not clear whether either of those factors played a part in her death on December 13 last year. 

Mrs Saunders was killed after she was hit by a train at a pedestrian crossing over the railway close to her home in Bowbridge.… 

The coroner said investigations had revealed that she went to the unmanned crossing close to her home, where she was hit by the 7.07am train. 

It was dark and the driver saw and heard nothing....

The coroner [said]: “…Whatever triggered what happened we will never know. 

"I am sorry I cannot shed any more light on what final fact or event pushed her over the edge.” 

The coroner recorded a suicide verdict. 

[5/5/2018    https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/stroud-woman-who-died-railway-1528902    This story originally appeared on May 3.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Whether Helen Saunders intentionally took her own life is far from clear. Preoccupied people have been known to drive or walk in front of trains entirely by accident. And sometimes people are pushed into the path of oncoming trains — they are murdered. In this instance, a verdict of suicide seems plausible but by no means proven. There is presumably no evidence of foul play in Saunders' death, but there is also no evidence of an intention to commit suicide — no suicide note has been found, for instance.

Also unclear is how much Saunders' work opposing the creation of a Steiner free school in her community may have taxed her. She became involved in a debate that grew heated, and she was vilified in some pro-Steiner circles. Nerves may easily fray in such situations. But public accounts have not directly attributed Saunders' "suicide" to such pressures. Indeed, Saunders died when things seemed to be going as she would have wished.

Saunders ran a website called Stop Steiner in Stroud. Here are excerpts from one of her final postings. (I have added a few footnotes.)

[T]he Steiner Academy Sussex Weald Initiative has now ended.... [1]

Earlier this year they appealed for parents to contact them if they still wanted a Steiner style free school [2] but this has clearly not come to anything, and it is a relief for those of us concerned about the welfare of children and families who accidently fall in to the Steiner trap to know that the danger has passed....

Setting up a school that is Steiner in all but name, and therefore would be free from the rules laid down by the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship [3] is a temptation for Steiner Initiative groups who realise rather late what they have got into.... [4] 

The [pro-Steiner] Stroud group [5] abandoned formal Steiner identity and the use of the Steiner name just as they put in their second application, and this was of course turned down.

The recruiting problems experienced by existing Steiner academies have not eased, with the newest, in Bristol losing their Principal at the end of the last academic year after an unfavourable Ofsted [6] report and bad reviews from unhappy parents....

As inspections take place more and more Steiner schools have been found wanting. Some have closed, some are under threat and some are struggling....

The children of Sussex Weald are fortunate to have escaped.

[Stop Steiner in Stroud, October 17, 2017.]

Saunders' website is no longer in operation.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] The Weald is a rural region in southeast England. The Sussex Weald is the portion of the Weald in the county of Sussex. The Sussex Weald Steiner Initiative was an effort to create a government-supported Steiner school in that area. Similar "Initiatives" have been instituted in other communities in the United Kingdom (UK).

[2] A "free school" in the UK is similar to a "charter school" in the USA — it is essentially a private school that receives government funding.

[3] The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship (SWSF) is the umbrella organization for Steiner or Waldorf schools in the UK.

[4] Many people become attracted to Steiner or Waldorf education without understanding the occult underpinnings of such education — Anthroposophy. When realization dawns, many complications often arise. Some supporters end their support, while others make efforts to sanitize the proposed schools. SWSF strives to ensure that Steiner Waldorf schools remain true to their Anthroposophical roots.

[5] Stroud is a market town in the county of Glouchestershire, England. Here, Saunders refers to the effort to create a Steiner free school in Stroud.

[6] Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education — the official accrediting body for schools in the United Kingdom.

— R.R.

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May 4, 2018

A DEMOCRATIC

ALTERNATIVE?

From theconversation.com:

What democratic schools can teach us 

about how to implement Gonski 2.0 

Gonski 2.0 [an Australian government-sponsored report on education] makes 23 recommendations to change Australia’s education landscape. The federal government has accepted all of those recommendations. 

[Australian businessman and philanthropist] David Gonski will present his report at the special COAG [Council of Australian Governments] meeting on May 4…. 

While these recommendations suggest major change to current education practice, democratic schools have been implementing many of these ideas for 40 years. They provide a model for how states and territories could proceed. 

Democratic schools and their philosophy 

Democratic schools are student-centred, with individualised learning and progression plans. They avoid age grouping or “year levels”. These schools put individual student’s needs at the heart of the school and the learning. They report student’s learning and progression in relation to students as individuals. 

Democratic schools operate in many countries across the world. They are based on a belief we need to work against a cookie-cutter approach to education….

[5/4/2018    https://theconversation.com/what-democratic-schools-can-teach-us-about-how-to-implement-gonski-2-0-95781  This story originally appeared on May 3.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Democratic schools are sometimes recommended as an alternative to Waldorf education. Sometimes democratic schools are said to be especially helpful to families who reel away from Waldorf in pain. Thus, for instance, Andy Lewis has written this at the Quackometer blog:

"[D]emocratic schools internationally can be an alternative for ex-Steiner pupils bruised by Steiner education." — Andy Lewis, Quackometer, July 14, 2015.

The essential characteristic of democratic schools is that all major decisions are made democratically by the members of the school, students included. Each person has one vote, and because students usually outnumber faculty and staff by a large margin, the students tend to steer the school. Each student makes her own decisions about what to study and what activities to pursue.

The democratic school movement is decentralized, without any organizing authority calling the shots. Each school operates as the members of that school decide.

"There is no monolithic definition of democratic education or democratic schools. But what we mean here is 'education in which young people have the freedom to organize their daily activities, and in which there is equality and democratic decision-making among young people and adults'....

"These schools and programs take many forms and include public and private alternatives and homeschool resource centers." — "Democratic Schools", AERO (Alternative Education Resource Organization).

Long-established democratic schools include Summerhill in the UK and Sudbury Valley School in the USA.

"While democratic schools vary greatly, the basic concept is the same. When it comes to governing the school — whether it's deciding what lessons will be taught or setting curfew — the decision-making rule is 'one person, one vote.' A teacher's vote counts the same a student's, whether that student is six or 16....

"Of the democratic schools that exist today, the oldest is Summerhill, a co-ed boarding school founded in 1921 by the British educator A.S. Neill. It opened at a time when a lot of experiments in bohemian education methods were sprouting — and failing — in England. But Summerhill still thrives, with a student body of about 100 and a large international population. The school went through a rough patch in 1999 and 2000 when it was nearly shuttered due to a conflict with Ofsted [Office for Standards in Education], Britain's national school accreditation body, over what inspectors described as the rude and unruly behavior of students. After a long legal battle, the school was saved, and by 2007, it had been accredited for the first time in its history. Inspectors gave it a stand-out review, praising the students as 'well-rounded, confident and mature.'" — Emily Chertoff, "No Teachers, No Class, No Homework; Would You Send Your Kids Here?", THE ATLANTIC, Dec. 12, 2012.

Whether a democratic school is right for any particular child is a highly individual matter. The character of that one child and the character of that one school are key. Certainly democratic schools offer an alternative to conventional public education, and as such they may appeal to countercultural families who are tempted by unconventional options such as Waldorf. The great advantage of most, if not all, democratic schools as distinguished from Waldorf is that there is presumably little if any occult mysticism at the base of a typical democratic school.

Montessori schools — which offer child-centered schooling based on the theories of Italian educator Maria Montessori — are often cited as another alternative to Waldorf. There are many superficial similarities between Montessori schools and Waldorf schools. As in the case of democratic schools, the most important difference from Waldorf is the absence of Anthroposophy from the Montessori movement. [See, e.g., "Ex-Teacher 5".]

AERO offers a list of democratic schools worldwide. [See https://www.educationrevolution.org/store/findaschool/democraticschools/.]

— R.R.

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May 3, 2018

A SHAKY REED:

CLAIRVOYANCE 

Rudolf Steiner said that making discoveries about the spirit realm requires clairvoyance. 

He also said that clairvoyance underlies the work of Waldorf teachers. Many Waldorf teachers are clairvoyant, he indicated, and the rest accept the discoveries made by their clairvoyant colleagues. 

◊ “Clairvoyance is the necessary pre-requisite for the discovery of a spiritual truth.…” — Rudolf Steiner, THEOSOPHY OF THE ROSICRUCIAN (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1966), lecture 1, GA 99. 

◊ "Not every Waldorf teacher has the gift of clairvoyance, but every one of them has accepted wholeheartedly and with full understanding the results of spiritual-scientific investigation [i.e., the disciplined use of clairvoyance]….”— Rudolf Steiner, WALDORF EDUCATION AND ANTHROPOSOPHY, Vol. 2 (Anthroposophic Press, 1995), pp. 224-225. 

The problem with all this is that clairvoyance is a fantasy. It does not exist. 

Or, to put the matter more cautiously, we can confidentially state that there is no reliable evidence for the existence of clairvoyance.

"After thousands of experiments, a reproducible ESP phenomenon [including claivoyance] has never been discovered, nor has any individual convincingly demonstrated a psychic ability." — David G. Myers, PSYCHOLOGY (Worth Publishers, 2004), p. 260; emphasis by Myers. 

A new article at Science Trends restates the long-established truth that clairvoyance is nothing but a fantasy. (Or, to put the matter more cautiously, the article indicates that there is no reliable evidence for the existence of clairvoyance.) The article speaks of “clairsentience,” but it lumps this together with clairvoyance. 

What Is Clairsentient? 

by Daniel Nelson

Clairsentient refers to having a sixth-sense, having heightened empathy for the feelings of a person or having heightened intuition about the properties of an object. Much like any form of ESP (extrasensory perception), there’s little to no scientific evidence to support the existence of clairsentience as a real phenomenon. 

What then could explain cases of claimed clairsentience? What does the research into the phenomena of clairsentience or clairvoyance say?

…If clairvoyance describes the ability to gain knowledge about a situation through ESP, clairsentience could describe the ability to gain “awareness” of feelings. This is sometimes referred to as being “empathic”…. 

Note that the term clairvoyance is often used as an umbrella term that encapsulates all varieties of extrasensory perception. The second definition of clairvoyance in Webster’s dictionary is the “ability to perceive matters beyond the range of ordinary perception”. This encompasses the act of sensing emotions of energy waves. As such, the term clairvoyance and clairsentience will be used interchangeably….

…In a 1988 review of the literature on ESP, the US National Research Council found that there was no “scientific justification from research conducted over a period of 130 years, for the existence of parapsychological phenomena”. Research since then has found precious little evidence to support the existence of ESP or clairvoyance…. 

[The article gives various naturalistic explanations for the illusion that some people possess clairvoyant powers: confirmation bias, subjective validation, sensory leakage/test subjects exposed to test material, and not taking the base rate of chance occurrences into account. All of these explanations severely diminish the possibility that clairvoyance is real.]

One of the primary ways that science advances is through falsification, the conducting of experiments that disprove or falsify a theory. Scientific theories are, at least in principle, falsifiable. The more attempts to discredit it a theory survives, the surer we can be it’s true. [But tests of the theories in favor of psychic phenomena generally succeed in falsifying these theories.] The fact that there are so many other possible, scientifically backed, explanations for ESP phenomena makes committing to the reality of ESP unwise.

[5/3/2018   https://sciencetrends.com/what-is-clairsentient/   This article originally appeared on May 1.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf education stands upon a phantasmagoric belief system: Anthroposophy. And Anthroposophy stands on a fantasy: clairvoyance. If clairvoyance does not exist, then Anthroposophy is false. And if Anthroposophy is false, then there is no valid basis for Waldorf education.

Clairvoyance does not exist. Hence, there is no valid basis for Waldorf education.

If you want to tone this down, you could say that clairvoyance almost certainly does not exist, and therefore there is almost certainly no valid basis for Waldorf education. Perhaps the odds are 99.5% against clairvoyance and Waldorf, 0.5% in favor of clairvoyance and Waldorf.

Do you want to send you child to a school that is probably only about 0.5% correct in its beliefs and principles? To use the mild phrasing from the article above, committing to the reality of Waldorf beliefs and principles is pretty clearly unwise.

— R.R.

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 .May 2, 2018

THREATENED STEINER SCHOOL 

PLANS FOR A DOUBTFUL FUTURE 

From The Hemel Gazette [Johnson Publishing, UK]:

New principal revealed for troubled 

Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley 

[by] Ben Raza 

A private school which is under threat of closure by the government has appointed its first-ever permanent principal. 

Martin Blain will take up the role full-time at Rudolf Steiner School in Kings Langley from August....

Mr Blain said...“I am completely committed to the Steiner Waldorf Education model and my aim is for this to be seen as the perfect place to learn.”

But not everyone was convinced by the appointment, as Mr Blain is best known for his time as headteacher of a new free school, where he left before the school had even opened its doors to students.

One insider, who asked not to be named, said: “We did wonder who they would get to come into a school like Rudolf Steiner, which has so many problems.

“But perhaps Mr Blain is a bit desperate too....” 

Martin Blain made national headlines during his time at Harperbury Free School, near Radlett. 

The project went through a troubled gestation, and opened a year later than was originally planned after a failure to secure a site in time. 

When a site was secured in November 2014 Mr Blain then left one day later “by mutual consent”....

[5/2/2018   https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/new-principal-revealed-for-troubled-rudolf-steiner-school-kings-langley-1-8482930   This story originally appeared on May 1.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) has not given up its struggle for survival. It is appealing the government's closure order, and it has now chosen a principal officer to lead it into the future. 

Watching the unfolding drama in coming weeks and months should be fascinating. RSSKL has failed a number of official inspections. Revelations from the inspections indicate that the problems at the school are broad and deep. [See, e.g., Waldorf Watch news accounts from April 28, 19, and 14, 2018.]

The new principal professes complete commitment to Steiner education, although his background is elsewhere. Whether the school and/or the new principal are "desperate" is perhaps unknowable, but certainly a crisis prevails. The key issue for RSSKL would seem to be whether to adhere faithfully to the practices and purposes of Waldorf education, or to accept the standards and requirements imposed by the government.

If it chooses the former course, it may go down fighting. If it chooses the latter, it may survive, but at the cost of altering the essential nature of the school.

The appointment of a leader from outsider the Steiner movement suggests that the latter course may be contemplated.

(If the school survives, and if government scrutiny is eased eventually, the school might be able to veer back toward its Anthroposophical roots at some point in the future. Perhaps at least some of the RSSKL faculty have such a possibility in mind.)

— R.R.

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