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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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November, 2019

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This site supplements Waldorf Watch.

To go to Waldorf Watch itself, please click here:

Waldorf Watch.

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

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

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

— Roger Rawlings

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 .NOVEMBER 29, 2019

A WALDORF SCHOOL DOWN UNDER 

TOUTS ITS STEINER PEDIGREE

The Waldorf school movement is celebrating its centenary [1]. News media around the world have taken note. Articles extolling Waldorf have appeared in many newspapers and online — often based on uncritical acceptance of self-descriptions and claims emanating from within the Waldorf movement.

Here are excerpts from a fairly typical example. The following is from The Blue Mountain Gazette [New South Wales, Australia]:

Steiner Schools celebrate 100 years

Waldorf Steiner school inaugural class, 1919

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The Blue Mountains Steiner School [2] — along with nearly 3,500 other Steiner schools world-wide [3] — has celebrated 100 years of its educational program this year...

'Steiner' is named for the creator of the educational method, Rudolf Steiner [4], who set up the first school for children of the workers at the Waldorf-Astoria factory in Germany in 1919.

In the chaos after World War One, Steiner questioned the senselessness of war [5] ... He concluded that to meet the needs of the future, individuals needed to be educated differently.

He designed a school to meet the developmental stages of childhood [6] and to encourage the imagination and creative thinking [7]...

Mr Steiner's intentions for educating children have stood the test of time [8]... 

The Blue Mountains Steiner School is located on three hectares of Darug land [9] in Hazelbrook.

Students spend time in bush play [10], exploring their own capacity and limits, as well as developing skills in all the traditional streams such as mathematics [11]...

[11/29/2019    https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/6498453/steiner-schools-turn-100/?cs=1432    This article originally appeared on November 28.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "Waldorf Turns 100".

[2] The school, founded in 1983, is located in Hazelbrook, New South Wales. [See http://bluemountainssteiner.nsw.edu.au.]

[3] Highly inflated tabulations are often hawked by Waldorf spokesfolks. According to an authoritative, pro-Waldorf source, the actual number of Waldorf and/or Steiner schools in the world is a bit under 1,200. [See https://www.freunde-waldorf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Waldorf_World_List/Waldorf_World_List.pdf.]

[4] Steiner also created Anthroposophy, the religion on which Waldorf education is based. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] Claiming to be clairvoyant, Steiner identified himself as an occultist. [See "Occultism".] The standard Waldorf curriculum embodies Steiner's mystical/occult beliefs, generally in muted form. [See "The Waldorf Curriculum" and "Principles at the Core".]

[5] Steiner's supporters often describe him as a pacifist. Actually, Steiner was a German nationalist who supported German objectives in World War One. Following that war, he defended the actions of the Chief of the German General Staff, General Helmuth von Moltke, who was sympathetic with Anthroposophy. [See "Steiner and the Warlord".]

[6] There are three such stages, according to Steiner, each culminating in the incarnation of an invisible human body (supplementing the physical human body). The first stage ends around age seven, when the etheric body incarnates. The second stage ends around age 14, when the astral body incarnates. The third stage ends around age 21, when the "I" incarnates. [See "Incarnation".]

[7] According to Steiner, imagination is a precursor to — or an initial stage of — clairvoyance. Waldorf schools do not generally try to make kids clairvoyant, but they promote forms of imagination or "creative thinking" that are consistent with the Anthroposophical belief in clairvoyance. [See "clairvoyance", "imagination", "inspiration", and "intuition" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]

[8] Waldorf proponents sometimes argue that because Waldorf education has lasted for a century, it is therefore a proven form of education. But longevity is not proof. Many things that are false or even injurious have "stood the test of time" by persisting for decades, centuries, or even millennia. Belief in witchcraft, for example, has persisted since time immemorial; but this does not prove that witchcraft is real. (Steiner, by the way, believed in witches, black magicians, and similar bogeys. [See "witches" and "black magic (magicians)" in the BWSE.])

[9] The Darug are indigenous inhabitants of Australia. The Waldorf movement is generally faithful to its roots in Germany and northern Europe, for instance by emphasizing Norse myths. [See "The Gods".] But as the movement opens schools in diverse locations around the world, it typically attempts to forge ties with the local populations and local traditions. This effort is often complicated by Steiner's racist teachings. [See, e.g., "Races" and "Differences".]

[10] I.e., playing in "the bush": playing outdoors, in nature. Steiner's followers tend to revere — but also fear — nature, considering it to be the abode of invisible "nature spirits" such as gnomes. [See, e.g., "Neutered Nature" and "Gnomes".]

[11] I.e., Waldorf schools also teach traditional academic subjects, such as mathematics. Unfortunately, however, Waldorf schools have often proven to be academically weak. [See "Academic Standards at Waldorf".] Their focus tends to be elsewhere — on spiritual, mystical, or occult matters. The ultimate aim of the Waldorf movement is to promote Anthroposophy. [See "Here's the Answer" and "Waldorf's Spiritual Agenda".]

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 27, 2019

BENEATH WALDORF: 

NONSENSE GALORE 

At his website, Anthroposophie.blog, Oliver Rautenberg has posted an alphabetical list of bizarre beliefs found in Anthroposophy, the occult belief system that lies at the base of the Waldorf movement [1]. In compiling his list, Rautenberg was guided by Crispian Jago's "Periodic Table of Irrational Nonsense".

Anyone who becomes interested in Waldorf schools should take heed of both the list and the table. At least some of the teachers at any given Waldorf school — the teachers who embrace Anthroposophy — are likely to believe at least some of the falsehoods and fallacies enumerated by Rautenberg and Jago.

Rautenberg's list is long, and Jago's table is even more expansive. Let's confine ourselves — for the moment — to sampling a few of the items beginning with the letter "A". Here is part of what Rautenberg has to say about the following subjects, linking them to Rudolf Steiner's teachings:

A - Astrology

According to the prophet Rudolf Steiner, astrology is a science [2]

"...[I]f you know the whole context, then the thing [astrology] stops being an ordinary superstition, and it becomes a science." — Rudolf Steiner, [THE HUMAN BEING IN BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT], GA 347, p. 25...

Ak - Akashic Record (Akashic Chronicle)

Rudolf Steiner claimed to read the past and the future in the invisible "Book of Life" [3]

According to Wikipedia, the "Akasha Chronicle" is a "supernatural book of life that contains an all-embracing world memory in immaterial form." Belief in it became widespread in Germany among fortunetellers and esotericists like Rudolf Steiner. He claimed to read the future and the past of humanity in this source by using his clairvoyance; he wrote a whole book, FROM THE AKASHIC CHRONICLE [4], to report his findings from this invisible, accessible-only-to-him cosmic history...

At - Atlantis

Atlantis is for Anthroposophists the birthplace of modern humanity [5]

The legendary, supposedly sunken island kingdom of "Atlantis" is, according to Rudolf Steiner, no less than the earthly cradle of humanity...

"[T]he Atlantean age...occurred no more than about nine thousand years ago." — Rudolf Steiner, CONFERENCES WITH THE TEACHERS OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL IN STUTTGART, GA 300a, p. 107...

In some of the esoteric Waldorf schools founded by Rudolf Steiner, Atlantis is taught in the study of history in the 5th grade — within the subject of "old high cultures"....

[11/27/2019   https://anthroposophie.blog/2019/11/26/das-periodensystem-des-irrationalen-unsinns/   Translation by R.R., relying heavily on Google Translate and DeepL Translator.]

Other topics Rautenberg includes under "A" are "Alien Abductions", "Anti-Vaccination", and "Auras". He proceeds to discuss "Crystal Power", "Clairvoyance", "Fairies", "Ghosts", and so on. In many cases, he establishes direct links to Steiner's teachings; in others, he traces vaguer connections. He acknowledges, for instance, that Steiner evidently had nothing to say about alien abductions — but he quotes Steiner claiming that human beings have traveled between the planets and, indeed, have lived on various alien planets.

"In ancient Atlantis, there were people whose bodies contained souls who previously lived on Mars, Jupiter, Venus and so on. These were called Mars-men, Jupiter-men, and the like." — Rudolf Steiner," LECTURES TO MEMBERS OF THE ANTHROPOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, GA 109, p. 238 [6].

All in all, parents of school-age children should think carefully before entrusting their kids to teachers who subscribe to any of the beliefs Rautenberg and Jago enumerate.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See, e.g., "Waldorf schools" and "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.

[2] See "Astrology".

[3] See "Akasha".

[4] See, e.g., THE FIFTH GOSPEL: FROM THE AKASHIC RECORD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1985).

[5] See "Atlantis". Steiner taught that prior to living on Atlantis, we lived on the continent of Lemuria [see "Lemuria"], and before that we lived on or in Polaria and Hyperborea [see "Early Earth".] Atlantis was our "cradle" because only there did we evolve to a condition that approximated our modern form and mind.

[6] See "Planetary Humans".

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 25, 2019 

WALDORF FOR THE 

YOUNGEST OF ALL 

An article lauding the Waldorf approach — written by a Waldorf teacher — appears in Nursery World, a British magazine focusing on early childhood education and child care. Here are excerpts:

Childminders: 

Waldorf Education - Day to Day

[By] Sam Greshoff

Childminding the Steiner Waldorf way includes a focus on rhythm, routine and experiential learning, writes Sam Greshoff 

Choosing to become a childminder or nanny [1] was once rare among Steiner Waldorf practitioners. Now it has become an increasingly popular choice...

Many aspects of the Steiner Waldorf approach are easily incorporated into home-based childcare...

The ‘living arts’ [2], incorporating domestic activity, creative discovery, nurturing care and social ability, are central to the Steiner approach [3] ... Baking bread, for example, promotes many elements of learning, from maths and science to motor skills and creativity [4]...

Rhythm and relationships

A rhythm [5] to the child’s day provides consistency of care, gives relationships time to grow, enables children to feel secure and eliminates some of the potentially stressful elements from the carer’s day, allowing them to work efficiently. Routine and repetition also support early brain development [6]...

Imitation

Teaching through example rather than direct instruction is a cornerstone of the Steiner Waldorf approach [7]...

Outdoor work and play

Outdoor play is a key feature of Steiner Waldorf practice, as are natural and open-ended toys and equipment [8]...

Awe and wonder

In Steiner Waldorf practice, curiosity, gratitude, awe and wonder are nurtured [9]...

[11/25/2019    https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/features/article/childminders-waldorf-education-day-to-day]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] A "childminder" is a child-care worker, a professional caregiver for children. A nanny, traditionally, is a childminder working in a family's home, attending to the children of that family.

Childminders may begin their work, supplementing or supplanting the care given by parents, quite early in children's lives. Thus, childminders may give children much of their earliest education. Rudolf Steiner encouraged his followers to assume control of children as early as possible.

"Given the difficult, disorderly, and chaotic conditions of our time, it might almost be preferable from a moral viewpoint if children could be taken into one’s care soon after birth.” — Rudolf Steiner, WALDORF EDUCATION AND ANTHROPOSOPHY, Vol. 2, Foundations of Waldorf Education (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 69.

[2] "Living arts," in the sense used here, are practical arts traditionally practiced in the home: cooking, sewing, and so on.

[3] Children enrolled in Waldorf schools are often taught some of these arts in class: knitting, crocheting, baking, etc. As is true for most things in Waldorf schools, the reason for this instruction is basically occult (i.e., based on hidden or esoteric doctrines). Thus, for instance, Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner taught that knitting promotes the development of good teeth. 

“Go into our needlework classes and handicraft classes at the Waldorf School, and you will find the boys knit and crochet as well as the girls ... This is not the result of any fad or whim ... [T]o drive the soul into the fingers means to promote all the forces that go to build up sound teeth.” — Rudolf Steiner, SPIRITUAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1948), lecture 17, GA 312.

[For the presence of occultism is Waldorf thinking, see "Occultism".]

Note that rudimentary academic education (basic reading, writing, arithmetic) is generally postponed in Waldorf education until children reach the age of seven. [See "The Waldorf Curriculum".] Ordinary preschool education, such as that provided in Head Start programs, is generally absent from the Waldorf approach.

[4] Waldorf proponents often exaggerate or misstate the advantages of their methds. The amount of "science and maths" learned from baking bread, for instance, is actually quite small. The main thing one learns from baking bread is how to bake bread.

[5] The reason for the use of "rhythm" in the Waldorf approach is another example of occultism. Steiner taught that various rhythms are deeply woven into cosmic and human existence, including rhythmic reincarnations. 

"Just as there are world rhythms so are there rhythms in the life or lives of the human being. One of these rhythms is the frequency of incarnation." — Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson, RUDOLF STEINER (Temple Lodge Publishing, 2005), p. 50. 

Assisting children with their incarnation is a central Waldorf purpose. Steiner taught that children, having come from the timeless spirit realm, need to be introduced to life-within-time through the use of rhythm. [See "Incarnation" and "Reincarnation".]

[6] Waldorf proponents often claim that their approach is good for the brain. They generally do not reveal, however, that their approach actually downplays the importance of the brain and brainwork. Steiner taught that the brain does not produce thoughts. Instead, the brain merely receives thoughts sent down to Earth by gods dwelling in the realms above. Steiner's followers today still embrace these beliefs.

"[The brain] mediates between the spiritual and the physical world just as a radio mediates between the broadcaster and the listener ... The brain does not produce thoughts." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 16.

[7] Steiner told Waldorf teachers to conduct themselves as models for children to imitate. The youngest children learn primarily through imitation, he said. [See "Principles at the Core".]

Waldorf education tries to mold children so that they begin down the path to feeling, acting, and thinking as Steiner's followers do: the path toward Anthroposophy. They learn this be imitating teachers who are devoted to Anthroposophy. [See "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.] Steiner said that Waldorf teachers must be true Anthroposophists:

“As teachers in the Waldorf School, you will need to find your way more deeply into the insight of the spirit and to find a way of putting all compromises aside ... As Waldorf teachers, we must be true anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 118.

[8] The Waldorf approach emphasizes nature and natural objects (wooden toys instead of plastic toys, for instance). According to Waldorf belief, nature is the abode of "nature spirits" such as gnomes, who dwell within the earth.

"A gnome is only visible to someone who can see on the astral plane [i.e., someone who is clairvoyant], 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.

Other nature spirits, Steiner taught, include sylphs (who dwell in air), undines (who dwell in water), and "fire spirits" or "salamanders" (who dwell in fire). [See "Neutered Nature".]

[9] Waldorf education is fundamentally religious — the religion being Anthroposophy. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] The "gratitude, awe and wonder" stressed in Waldorf practice are meant to foster religious devotion. Waldorf days usually begin with the recitation of Anthroposophical prayers written by Rudolf Steiner. [See "Prayers".]

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 23, 2019 

WALDORF FESTIVALS 

AND THEIR MEANING 

Waldorf schools throughout the northern hemisphere are currently holding autumnal festivals. (South of the equator, vernal festivals are being staged.)

Here are a few typical examples:

1.

From Patch.com [re. Rhode Island, USA]:

Meadowbrook Waldorf School 

Holding Holiday Faire Nov. 23 

The annual event will be held at the school's new, temporary home in Wakefield.

By Rachel Nunes

(Shutterstock / Ekaterina Pokrovsky)

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The Meadowbrook Waldorf School is holding its annual Holiday Faire just in time for Thanksgiving, offering a day of shopping, food, music and activities for the whole family. This year's event will be held at the former South Road School from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 23. ... Meadowbrook Waldorf has hosted the Holiday Faire, which serves as its primary fundraising event, for more than two decades ... Along with shopping for local and unusual goods, visitors will have the opportunity to try candle-dipping, explore the crystal cave, watch a marionette show, ride a pony and create crafts....

[https://patch.com/rhode-island/narragansett/meadowbrook-waldorf-school-holding-holiday-faire]

2.

From Pasadena Now [California, USA]:

Pasadena Waldorf School's 34th Annual 

Elves' Faire is on Saturday, November 23 

Article courtesy of PASADENA WALDORF SCHOOL

Pasadena Waldorf School (PWS) will hold its 34th Annual Elves’ Faire on Saturday, November 23, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Lower School K-8 campus.

The Elves’ Faire is a gift for children and their families hosted by the parents of Pasadena Waldorf School ... Games, Arts & Crafts, Doll Room, Music, Fantastic Feasts from PWS’ amazing community food vendors, Great Holiday Shopping, Angel Room, Jake Frost Bake Shoppe, Aerialists, Puppet Shows, Photo Studio and so much more!

[http://www.pasadenanow.com/pasadenaschools/pasadena-waldorf-schools-34th-annual-elves-faire-is-on-saturday-november-23/#.XdlXfS2ZNTY] 

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From Kool 108 [Minnesota, USA]:

MN Waldorf School Holiday 

Fair and Artisan Marketplace 

Fun activities and beautiful artisanal crafts await at the MN Waldorf School's free and open-to-the-public 36th annual Holiday Fair and Artisan Marketplace, 6-9 pm Friday, and 10 am-4 pm Saturday, Nov. 22-23, at the Minnesota Waldorf School!

Friday night is a FREE, adults-only event where shoppers can snack on cheese and wine while browsing unique artisanal vendors ... Saturday will be a day of family fun, with lots of children's activities, food trucks, and more opportunities to shop - including the kids at their very own Snow Fairy Gift Garden!

[https://kool108.iheart.com/calendar/event/5dd410d251c68e960abb472b/]

 Waldorf Watch Response

Festivals such as these provide good window dressing for Waldorf schools, potentially attracting new families into the fold. And, of course, they may serve to raise cash for the schools.

But there is more to Waldorf festivals than that. The following is from The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia:

festivals at Waldorf schools - also see Christmas; fall festival; Easter; Michaelmas; St. John's; St. Martin's; spring festival

Generally, these are periodic or seasonal observances with astrological/occult significance: thinly disguised religious observances (Easter, Advent, Michaelmas, etc.). Such festivals are often decked out, however, in secular trappings that mask their spiritual significance. Other celebratory gatherings, other fairs or fests, are also held in Waldorf schools — but usually there is an underlying religious theme or purpose in these as well. The primary festivals observed are, generally, the "fall festival" (Michaelmas), Christmas, and the "spring festival" (Easter). [1] “Through finding the right way to celebrate Michaelmas (traditionally September 29) [2] we may awaken new human forces needed to create completely open community [sic], grounded in spiritual reality. It was clear to Steiner that much depends on our awakening to such new festivals ... If, in our social life, we can learn to accompany the out-breath of the earth in spring and summer [3]...then with Michael’s help in autumn we can accompany the elemental world’s withdrawal into itself during the winter’s death and darkness. [4] The evil, estranging ahrimanic powers [5] that seek to possess the earth...must now be transformed and illumined from within at Christmas ... Steiner shows how this new understanding of the yearly festivals prepares us for our current historical transition. [6]” — H. Barnes, A LIFE FOR THE SPIRIT: Rudolf Steiner in the Crosscurrents of Our Time (Anthroposophic Press, 1997), pp. 185-186. [See "Magical Arts".]

In some cases, Waldorf schools observe far more than the three primary festivals named above, with the result that festival observances may dominate the school calendar, leaving little time for other activities or studies. "Festivals — like towers in a landscape, the annual festivals mark important moments in the calendar as observed in fields of work inspired by Anthroposophy. The main festivals are: Easter, Whitsun, St John's, Michaelmas, St Martin [sic], Advent, Christmas, Epiphany. [7] These festivals are not only reminders of events that took place in the past, but also reflect cyclical spiritual events that take place in the breathing process of the earth every year ... Celebrating the festivals enables human beings to get in touch with both nature and spirit ... The festivals, if we engage with them fully and connect through them with our ongoing human evolution, offer an opportunity for us to develop greater awareness of the course and aim of human life on earth. [8]" — H. van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), pp. 45-46.

The dates of various Waldorf festivals are sometimes shifted so that the events' underlying religious significance is less apparent. Additionally, such festivals — which are typically colorful and celebratory — are used as window dressing to impress students' parents; they also serve as useful recruitment vehicles; and they may help raise funds for the schools. These secondary objectives further disguise the deeper intent of the festivals. But the “real” meaning of the festivals is spelled out by Steiner and his followers in such books as THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998). In brief, Waldorf festivals are spiritual observances meant to secure our connections with the beneficent gods, holding demonic spirits at bay, and advancing mankind's evolutionary progress.

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Rudolf Steiner Press, 2002

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[1] This is the situation for Waldorf schools in the northern hemisphere; such schools are generally in session from, approximately, early September to mid-June. The situation is different in the southern hemisphere; the seasons are different and the festivals falling within the school year are somewhat different.

[2] Michaelmas is the feast of St. Michael. Autumnal festivals at Waldorf schools chiefly reflect Michaelmas, but they may also incorporate Martinmas (November 11) and they anticipate Advent (the Sundays preceding Christmas). Although many Waldorf festivals seem to be Christian, the Anthroposophical understanding of Christ, Michael, and other biblical figures is incompatible with mainstream Christianity. Thus, Christ is deemed to be the Sun God and Michael is deemed to be a warrior god, the Archangel of the Sun, fighting of behalf of the Sun God. [See "Sun God" and "Michael".]

[3] Steiner taught that the Earth is alive. It breathes in and out with the seasons.

[4] In Anthroposophy, Archangels are believed to oversee the seasons: Michael oversees autumn (Michaelmas), Gabriel oversees winter (Christmas), Raphael oversees spring (Easter), and Uriel or Oriphiel oversees summer (St. John's Tide). Steiner taught that the elemental world (the natural world, home of the elemental beings) withdraws during autumn, preparing for the strife of winter. (St. John's Tide is rarely observed in Waldorf schools in the northern hemisphere, because it falls in late June, when school is generally not in session.)

[5] Forces of darkness, forces of evil, allied to the arch-demon Ahriman. [See "Ahriman".] They attack strongly during winter, Steiner said. The powers of Christmas should overcome them annually, especially if the proper observances are made (celebrations of the festivals).

[6] I.e., our current evolutionary forward movement. [See "Evolution, Anyone?" and "Oriphiel".]

[7] These are all nominally Christian observances, although the form of "Christianity" embraced by Anthroposophists diverges far from mainstream Christian belief. [See, e.g., "Was He Christian?"] The central faith in Waldorf schools is not mainstream Christianity, it is Anthroposophy. When a Waldorf school observes a great many festivals during the year, these become the primary experience of the students, largely determining the students' school life. [See, e.g., "My Life Among the Anthroposophists" — the section titled "The School's 'Celebrations'".]

[8] From the Waldorf perspective, the "course and aim of human life on earth" are to be found in Anthroposophy. [See, e.g., the entry for "historical narrative" in this encyclopedia.]

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 21, 2019

FACTS VS. FALLACIES - 

REALITY VS. WALDORF 

A sponsored article appearing in Chicago Parent [Illinois, USA]:

How schools are moving away 

from teaching to the test 

by Shannan Younger

The educational landscape has changed, and many private and independent schools have shifted their focus away from memorization and learning by rote. Educators in the area’s top schools are not simply teaching to a specific test, but rather are helping children develop the skills necessary to problem solve in a changing world...

Shifting the focus away from facts

Facts matter, but a “fact-based education system is outdated and filling students up with facts is not needed in our world the way that it used to be,” says Luke Goodwin, administrative director at Chicago Waldorf School, who notes that facts are easily accessible in a way they were not a few decades ago. Goodwin says students “are coming to school not for facts, but rather searching for the truth about the world. That’s what we’re helping them understand.”

“We think you need to be able to think and act compassionately, creatively, resiliently. You need higher order skills,” he says....

[11/21/2019    https://www.chicagoparent.com/sponsored-content/how-schools-are-moving-away-from-teaching-to-the-test/]

Waldorf Watch Response

Memorization and rote learning are surely not the end-all and be-all of education. And "teaching to a specific test" is clearly not a formula for a good education. So we can probably all agree that helping kids to develop "higher order skills" — helping them "to problem solve in a changing world" — are good ideas.

But slow down, a moment. Should we really devalue facts? Should kids not memorize some real information about the real world? Do we agree that a "fact-based education system is outdated"?

Facts are bits of knowledge. They are portions of actuality. They are pieces of real information. And as such, they are crucial. Any search for "the truth about the world" must be based on facts — knowledge, actuality, information.

Waldorf schools have long been opposed to fact-based education. At least in part, this is because their conception of truth requires them to reject most of modern science and modern scholarship. The foundations of the Waldorf movement are anti-scientific, anti-intellectual, and even anti-rational. The "truths" propounded by Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner are mystical, not factual — they are largely unsupported by science, or reason, or facts.

The Waldorf aversion to facts has often be expressed. Consider the following:

“When I was a child, I received The Weekly Reader in school regularly … I remember [an article] about ‘The Miracle Fiber of the Future’…about the benefits of asbestos. Forty years ago, Americans were so enthusiastic about asbestos that we put it in our floor tiles, our ceiling tiles, and our house shingles … Today we are spending millions of dollars for its removal. This is the obvious flaw in fact-based education. Whether we were taught about the solar system, the Soviet Union, or computers, much of what we had to learn in school is now outdated.” — Waldorf teacher Jack Petrash, UNDERSTANDING WALDORF EDUCATION (Gryphon House, 2002, reprinted 2009), pp. 25-26.

Indeed, knowledge evolves. Old knowledge is replaced by new, better knowledge. But this does not mean we should downplay the importance of knowledge (facts, information). Just the opposite. It means we should educate children to know the difference between knowledge and ignorance, and we should equip students with the mental tools to keep abreast of newly evolving knowledge. 

Easy access to "facts" via computers and the Internet is no substitute. If you don't possess knowledge of your own, you will be unable to judge whether or not to accept statements you find through electronic gizmos. You need to know stuff. You need facts. 

Deciding what is or is not a "fact" is, of course, difficult. People may disagree; reality can be confusing; truths are hard to discern. But this is the central task of education — indeed, the central task of the thinking life — to grapple with these matters, to carefully and judiciously work our way toward firm factual knowledge and the truths such knowledge affords. This is what our schools should help students to understand and undertake. But this is not the Waldorf approach.

The Waldorf approach essentially devalues modern knowledge. And the problem with the Waldorf approach runs very deeper. According to Rudolf Steiner, the brain itself — including the use of the brain — has little or no ultimate value. Consider these statements:

◊ “[T]he brain and nerve system have nothing at all to do with actual cognition.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 60.

◊ "Within the brain there is absolutely no thought." — Rudolf Steiner, WONDERS OF THE WORLD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1983), p. 119.

◊ “The brain is an instrument for purely intellectual apprehension. Intellectualism and materialistic thinking are one and the same ... [T]he materialistic brain represents a process of decay: materialistic thinking unfolds only through processes of destruction, death-processes, which are taking place in the brain.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), pp. 147-148.

◊ “The intellect destroys or hinders.” — Rudolf Steiner, WALDORF EDUCATION AND ANTHROPOSOPHY, Vol. 1 (Anthroposophic Press, 1995, p. 233.

◊ "Intellectuality flows forth from Ahriman [a terrible demon] as a cold and frosty, soulless cosmic impulse.” — Rudolf Steiner, ANTHROPOSOPHICAL LEADING THOUGHTS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), p. 98.

◊ "You will injure children if you educate them rationally.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, p. 61.

Waldorf education disparages factual knowledge. It disparages science and intellect. It disparages the brain.

Can a real education be based on such a perspective? Will we really harm children if we educate them rationally? 

Surely not.

[To delve further into these issues, see, e.g., "Thinking", "Thinking Cap", "Steiner's Specific", and "Materialism U.".]

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 20, 2019

STEINER NAME CHANGED - 

OTHER CHANGES TO COME 

Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) are under a lot of pressure these days. Some have shut down, or geared back, or cast their lot with non-Steiner institutions that may (or may not) protect them [1].

Here's the latest dispatch concerning one of the most troubled UK Steiner schools, the Steiner "free school" [2] in the city of Frome. Steiner Academy Frome had received the lowest possible evaluation [3] issued by UK education inspectors [4]. Hoping to find a way forward, the academy turned to the Avanti Schools Trust [5], which would undertake to improve the academy.

The central question is whether Avanati will allow the academy to remain true to its Steiner philosophy. The signals from Avanti have been mixed so far, but there are signs that Avanti intends to implement significant changes at the academy.

The first such change has already occurred. Avanti has changed the academy's name.

The following is from The Frome Times [Somerset, UK]:

New name for ‘troubled’ Steiner Academy

Steiner Academy in Frome has been renamed Avanti Park School after its management was formally taken over by Avanti Schools Trust.

The multi-academy trust has vowed to ‘raise standards’ at the school, which was placed into ‘Special Measures’ [6] after it was rated as ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted in January this year.

The trust will also be undertaking a review of the school’s curriculum to align the school with the ‘Avanti Way’ – the trust’s own education philosophy [7].

News of the formal transfer comes as parents and pupils await news of the outcome of a recent consultation to change the age range at the school from 3 to 16 to 3 to 13 [8] – which would end the school’s GCSE offer [9]... 

Mike Younger, the chair of Avanti Schools Trust board of trustees said..."Central to Waldorf education (also known as Steiner education) and to the Avanti Way is developing a teaching methodology which strives to develop pupils’ intellectual, artistic and practical skills in an integrated and holistic way [10]..." 

A spokesperson for the trust continues..."The aim of the planned curriculum review is to investigate how the curriculum in the three re-brokered schools [11] can be aligned with aspects of Waldorf principles which are in synergy with the Avanti Way....[12]" 

[11/20/2019    http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2019/11/19/new-name-for-troubled-steiner-academy/    This article originally appeared on November 19.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[2] UK free schools are analogous to US charter schools — they are, in effect, private schools that follow their own curriculums and use their own methods, but they receive government financing (in exchange for which they may come under intensified scrutiny).

[3] The school was judged to be "Inadequate" — meaning it was failing in its role as an educational institution.

[4] The inspectors came from the UK government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

[5] Avanti Schools Trust is a "multi-academy trust" — an educational organization that runs several schools under a single board of directors. Avanti has taken charge of Steiner academies in Frome, Bristol and Exeter. Previously, Avanti had managed only Hindu schools. [See "Inadequate — Bristol, Frome, and...".]

[6] Special measures are emergency procedures meant to produce rapid improvements at failing schools.

[7] This is the key question — to what extent will the Steiner way at these schools be found consistent with the "Avanti way"? If Avanti officials find the Steiner way inconsistent with Avanti's preferences, presumably Avanti will decree changes at the three schools.

[8] See "Pro-Steiner Protestors Await Consultation Outcome", November 6, 2019.

[9] GCSE is the General Certificate of Secondary Education, a certificate students earn after taking examinations at around the age of 16. The reformed academy in Frome would no longer enable students to get the certificate, since it would offer no instruction for students above the age of 13.

[10] The Steiner way and the Avanti Way may seem compatible, in broad outline. But note how abstract and vague the wording in the statement is. What is meant by "holistic," for instance? The Avanti conception may be quite different from the Steiner conception. [For the Steiner conception, see "Holistic Education".]

[11] These are the Steiner academies in Frome, Bristol, and Exeter. They became "rebrokered" when they came under the control of a new sponsor or broker — the Avanti Trust.

[12] Again, the wording here is quite vague. What "aspects" of Waldorf "principles" are we talking about? What does "aligned" mean in this context (small changes, or enormous changes)? What is "synergy," in this vague context (cooperation, mutual reinforcement, or a tug-of-war)? 

The clear danger is that, in their effort to save themselves, the Steiner academies have created the possibility that they will be altered so much that they will no longer be real Steiner schools. The new name of the Frome academy suggests that "Steiner" is dropping out of the picture. [Other UK Steiner schools have also been given new names. See, e.g., "Langley Hill".]

For an outline of the Avanti Way, see https://avanti.org.uk/about/ethos/.

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 17, 2019

WALDORF SCHOOL DENIES 

GIVING UP THE GHOST 

Asked to comment on reports that he had died, Mark Twain said the reports were a tad exaggerated.

In like fashion, reports that a Waldorf charter school in Utah has failed may prove to be, at a minimum, premature. The school is running out of money, its student body is shrinking, and it has failed to meet state-mandated requirements [1]. But it may not be ready to shut down.

Here is an update on conditions at the school. The source is KSL.com [Salt Lake City, Utah]:

Provo charter school files for

bankruptcy but says it will not close

By Graham Dudley

Provo’s Treeside Charter School [2], a K-6 school [3] based on the Waldorf education model, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the school announced Wednesday.

The school, which opened in 2017, said that it does not intend to close and hopes the filing will help it resolve issues with creditors and with its landlord [4]...

In a letter to the Treeside community posted on social media, the Treeside board said the school “and what it stands for will be here for a long time”...

The Treeside website [5] says the school is “influenced by aspects” of Waldorf education [6] ... Treeside students practice yoga [7] and integrate music, nature and the arts [7] into the curriculum, according to the site....

[11/17/2019    https://www.ksl.com/article/46674802/provo-charter-school-files-for-bankruptcy-but-says-it-will-not-close    This article originally appeared on November 16.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "Waldorf Gains, Waldorf Losses", November 14, 2019.

[2] Provo is a city south of Salt Lake City. Charter schools in the US operate effectively as private schools, but they are financed by the government — they are akin to free schools in the UK. (Public financing sometimes means submitting to more intensive regulation by the state.)

[3] I.e., the school has grade levels extending from kindergarten through sixth grade.

[4] A previous report, in The Salt Lake Tribune, said the school is nearly half a million dollars in debt. [See https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2019/11/14/utah-charter-school-where/.]

[5] The school's website is https://treesidecharter.org.

[6] The school may be considered a Waldorf-inspired institution rather than a full-fledged Waldorf school. [See "Waldorf-inspired schools" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[7] Yoga is not normally a part of the Waldorf curriculum or methodology. Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner did, however, designate yoga as one of the true paths to occult initiation. [See "Yoga".]

[8] Nature and the arts (including music) are typically emphasized in Waldorf education. The reasons are rooted in Steiner's spiritual pronouncements. So, for instance, Steiner once said the following:

“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, not metaphorically.

"[A]rt...forms a bridge across the abyss [separating the physical realm from the spiritual realm].” — Rudolf Steiner, THE ARTS AND THEIR MISSION (Anthroposophic Press, 1964), lecture 4, GA 276.

For more on the Waldorf view of nature and the arts, see "Neutered Nature" and "Magical Arts".

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 16, 2019

DESPITE BLESSINGS OF ILLNESS, 

GERMANY MANDATES VACCINATION 

Opposition to vaccination is often strong in and around Waldorf schools [1]. Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner did not ban vaccination in all circumstances, but he taught that vaccines can interfere with karma and have other deleterious effects [2].

Steiner's followers often contend that children need to contract various childhood diseases, in order to harmonize the physical body (and its proclivities inherited from parents) with a child's own special spiritual individuality, the spiritual ego or "I" [3]. But vaccines may prevent children from receiving the full benefit of these needed illnesses, Anthroposophists believe. As a Waldorf teacher has written:

"Childhood diseases...result from a necessary developmental process in which the human being tries to overcome influences from the inherited physical body. The child must bring inherited substances into line with his own 'I' ... This basic concept of the origin of childhood diseases has been complicated by new forms of medication that suppress symptoms (vaccination) ... [T]he harmonization process is partly blocked by their use." — Henk Van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 20. [4]

A recent book co-authored by a Waldorf school doctor lists various objections to the vaccination of children. Mainstream doctors would dispute most of these objections:

"Vaccination may trigger or exacerbate other illnesses ... [T]he ever-increasing number of components of combined vaccines [may place] excessive demands on the immune system ... [V]accinations [may] favour the development of allergies or autoimmune disorders ... The emotional trauma associated with vaccination is also a factor ... Fear of illness may be inflated ... [We should trust] children's self-healing abilities." — Michaela Glöckler & Wolfgang Goebel, A GUIDE TO CHILD HEALTH (Floris Books, 2007), pp. 168-169. [5]

The last of these objections — that childhood illnesses aren't so bad — is consistent with the Anthroposophical belief that childhood diseases actually benefit children. Perhaps the clearest exposition of this belief can be found in the book BLESSED BY ILLNESS, which was written by a Waldorf teacher having a medical degree:

"I believe that most doctors striving for elimination of childhood illnesses are convinced that they do a great service ... [But] childhood illnesses should be treated in the proper way, by supporting the illness...not fighting the illness ... [W]e should consider [childhood illnesses] as the greatest blessings, because through them man is able to strengthen his personal form by conquering [an inherited] predisposition, [thus] enabling him to incarnate better." — L.F.C. Mees, BLESSED BY ILLNESS (Steinerbooks/Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 192. [6]

◊

The first Waldorf school opened in Germany a century ago. Today there are 245 Waldorf schools and 563 Waldorf kindergartens in Germany [7], far more than in any other country. Anthroposophy is probably more widely accepted in Germany than anywhere else. But the German government has now passed a law that may cause consternation among at least some German Anthroposophists. The following is from The New York Times:

Germany Mandates Measles Vaccine

All children attending preschool or higher in the country must be immunized, with fines for parents who do not comply, under a law that is to take effect next spring.

By Melissa Eddy

Parents in Germany must vaccinate their children against measles or face fines of several thousand euros under a law passed on Thursday that aims to stop the spread of a disease that has returned in recent years after decades of decline.

The law, which is to take effect from March next year, will require all children seeking to attend preschool to prove that they have been immunized or risk losing their placement. Children aged 6 and older, who are required by law to attend school, must also show proof of having received a vaccine.

Health officials in Germany have recorded 501 cases of measles this year [8], despite the existence of vaccines that are proven to be safe and effective. According to the World Health Organization, outbreaks of the disease have increased in recent years across the globe, including in developed countries where it had largely been eradicated...

Under the law, immunizations will also be required for adults born after 1970 who work with children in public institutions, such as day care centers, schools or hospitals. Exceptions will only be allowed for medical reasons and only a doctor can grant them [9]...

Globally, the measles vaccine is estimated to have saved 21 million lives between 2000 and 2017, according to data cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. But there are still more than seven million cases and 100,000 deaths a year, the agency noted, many in developing countries where people lack access to the vaccine. Most who die are children younger than 5.

Even in developed countries, outbreaks have flared up in recent years as a growing number of parents have refused vaccination. Some claim religious reasons, and some mistakenly fear a link to autism, based on research that has been discredited as fraudulent....

[11/16/2019    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/world/europe/germany-measles-vaccine.html    This article originally appeared on November 14.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] For previous news coverage of this matter, see "vaccination" in The Waldorf Watch Annex Index.

[2] See "vaccination" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia; also see "Steiner's Quackery".

[3] See "Ego".

[4] The parenthetical reference to vaccination occurs in the text; I did not add it.

[5] Michaela Glöckler is a Waldorf school doctor.

[6] According to Anthroposophical belief, childhood is a period when a lengthy process of earthly incarnation occurs. [See "Incarnation".] One way to describe the purpose of Waldorf education is to support and guide the process of incarnation. [See "Here's the Answer".]

[7] See https://www.freunde-waldorf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Waldorf_World_List/Waldorf_World_List.pdf.

[8] According to some reports, outbreaks of measles have been frequent in German Waldorf schools. [See, e.g., "Waldorf, Measles, and Black Magicians", May 9, 2019.]

[9] This may open a large loophole, if Anthroposophical doctors issue medical exemptions based on Anthroposophical doctrines.

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 14, 2019

WALDORF GAINS, 

WALDORF LOSSES

Proponents of Waldorf education like to claim that theirs is the fastest-growing independent school movement in the world. This claim may or may not be true, and it may or may not give an accurate impression of the overall impact of Waldorf education around the world [1]. Still, there seems to be reliable evidence that the Waldorf movement is indeed growing and spreading. 

The semi-official Waldorf World List claims that, as of April, 2019, there were 1,182 Waldorf schools and 1,911 Waldorf kindergartens in the world [2]. (The two totals overlap. Some Waldorf kindergartens are subdivisions of Waldorf schools, while others are separate operations.) Many Waldorf institutions are quite small, but some — especially in Germany and the USA — have moderately large student populations. 

Surprising though it may be, Waldorf education seems to be growing particularly fast in China [3]. According to one source, there are now about 50 Waldorf grade schools in China along with approximately 300 Waldorf "initiatives" (i.e., pro-Waldorf efforts of varying sorts) [4]. Given the enormous population of China, Waldorf schools in that country might eventually have very large student populations.

Complicating the overall Waldorf picture is the tendency of at least some Waldorf schools to collapse, here and there, now and again. Often, these failures are isolated events that do not stem the general upward Waldorf trend. They often pass with little notice [5]. An exception is evident in Britain now, where several Waldorf or Steiner schools have shut down or stand in danger of being shut. British education authorities have focused considerable attention on Steiner schools there, with severe effects. [6]

Meanwhile, today, news out of the state of Utah indicates that an American Waldorf school is joining the list of individual Waldorf failures. The following is from The Salt Lake Tribune:

Utah charter school where students 

focused on nature, yoga, ‘Love and Logic’ 

files for bankruptcy 

By Courtney Tanner

A Provo charter school [7] acclaimed for its unusual academic approach...has filed for bankruptcy less than three years after it opened.

Treeside Charter School [8] submitted a federal claim Tuesday, outlining the nearly half a million dollars it owes to debtors...

The school’s director, its founder and its board president did not return calls Wednesday...

Treeside Charter, located just east of Utah Lake, opened in August 2017 and teaches kindergarten through sixth grade. It practices the Waldorf education model...

Treeside Charter has struggled, though, to gain footing academically. And its student body has shrunk every year.

In its annual report card from the state issued last year, Treeside fell below almost every benchmark, including “developing” for test scores, in “critical needs” for growth and in the progress of its English Language Learners...

Nearly 20% of students transferred from Treeside in 2018....

[11/14/2019    https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2019/11/14/utah-charter-school-where/]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Another large independent school movement, the Gülen School Movement, seems to be approximately as large in terms of the number of schools operating, and it is probably larger in terms of the total number of students enrolled. [See, e.g., "Gülen movement schools": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gülen_movement_schools ]. Meanwhile, the Montessori school movement — the movement to which Waldorf is often compared — is vastly larger. If there are about 1,200 Waldorf schools and about 1,000 Gülen schools in the world, there are reportedly about 20,000 Montessori schools worldwide. [See the website of The North American Montessori Teachers Association: https://montessori-namta.org.]

[2] See https://www.freunde-waldorf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Waldorf_World_List/Waldorf_World_List.pdf.

[3] See https://www.iaswece.org/asia/china/china/.

[4] This has come despite the markedly negative views of Asians generally and the Chinese in particular expressed by Rudolf Steiner. [See "Races" and "Differences".]

[5] See "Failure" and "The Silent Deaths of Waldorf Schools", January 20, 2018.

[6] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[7] Provo is city south of Salt Lake City, Utah. Charter schools are equivalent to British free schools — they are effectively private institutions funded by the government.

[8] The school's website is https://treesidecharter.org.

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 11, 2019 

A WALDORF SCHOOL REAPS PRAISE — 

IT IS ONE OF NEWCASTLE'S "BEST" 

Best in Australia is a service that compiles lists of the "best" organizations, businesses, etc., in Australia. The lists are based largely on the quality of these institutions' websites and the number of hits these sites receive [1].

Best in Australia has now designated Newcastle Waldorf School as one of the best schools in the city of Newcastle. Here is the description of the school given by Best in Australia. It is evidently based almost entirely on a self-description provided by the school itself.

Best Schools in Newcastle

By Laura Ebeline

...Newcastle Waldorf School – Steiner education and teaching is based on the understanding of the human being comprised of body, soul and spirit [2]. The whole of the human being is taken into consideration [3] and education is thus viewed as an ‘art’. The spiritual should not be neglected for the physical nor the physical neglected for the spiritual [4]. The practices are based on reality and life: the whole child (thinking, feeling, and willing) discovers truth, beauty and goodness by making use of everything that is pictorial and tangible. This transpires naturally through the child’s innate devotion and reverence of nature and the cosmos [5] and comes into expression through art, music, language, fairy tales, poems and games.

The kindergarten years correspond to the period of intense physical growth, organ and muscle development [6]. This is supported through imitation and ‘good’ will activities in a rhythmically structured day [7]. The class teacher [8] is able to nurture the primary years, where the child’s emotions, imagination and feelings are emerging, through focusing on ‘beauty’ in artistic learning [9]. In high school, the students’ minds are sensitively opening to their world and their lessons involve greater thinking responsibilities and discoveries of the ‘truth’. The curriculum based on Steiner’s indications is responsive to the needs of the developmental phases of a child’s life, giving particular emphasis to creating healthy foundations that support all the aspects of the growing child [10]. The curriculum strives to develop individuals who are able to feel, think and act out of their own initiative so that they fulfill their potential in whatever purpose and direction they choose in life [11].

[11/11/2019    https://bestinau.com.au/best-schools-in-newcastle/    This item originally appeared on November 10.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] "Best in Australia provides you with a collection of the best blog posts, news and tips — the most researched articles and information in Australia." — Best in Australia - The Most Researched Information [https://bestinau.com.au].

[2] This is one of the fundamental descriptions of human nature provided by Rudolf Steiner: the threefold description. Steiner also offered fourfold, sevenfold, and ninefold descriptions of human nature. [See "What We're Made Of".]

[3] The Waldorf conception of the "whole child" is deeply occult. The whole child, Steiner's followers believe, is a reincarnated being who has three invisible bodies, twelve senses, both a soul and a spirit, an aura, a "temperament," a karma, an astrological sign, a spiritually significant racial identity, etc. [See "Holistic Education".]

[4] Waldorf education is fundamentally religious. The underlying religion is Anthroposophy. [See "Schools as Churches" and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

[5] In Waldorf belief, children arrive on Earth with naturally religious dispositions. Waldorf schools seek to prolong children's "natural reverence." [See "Thinking Cap".]

[6] For occult reasons, Waldorf education is structured around three seven-year-long phases of childhood as propounded by Rudolf Steiner: ages 0-7, 7-14, and 14-21. During these periods, invisible incorporeal bodies are believed to incarnate (the etheric body, the astral body, and the "I"), supplementing the physical body. [See "Most Significant" and "Incarnation".] The focus of the first phase is the "good," the focus of the second phase is "beauty," and the focus of the third phase is "truth" — as conceived in Anthroposophy. [See "Anthroposophy"  in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]

[7] See "will" and "rhythm" in the BWSE.

[8] In Waldorf schools, a "class teacher" takes charge of a group of children and serves as their main instructor for several years (first grade through fourth grade, for instance — or even longer). [See "class teachers" in the BWSE.]

[9] For occult reasons, Waldorf education is arts-intensive. [See "Magical Arts".]

[10] See "The Waldorf Curriculum" and "Core Principles".

[11] Waldorf schools generally claim to respect the individuality of their students and to promote the students' ultimate freedom. This claims are open to serious dispute, however. [See, e.g., "Temperaments" and "Freedom".]

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 9, 2019

WALDORF VIOLENCE —

WIDESPREAD? ENDEMIC? 

From a message posted at the Waldorf Critics discussion site:

At Anthroposophie.blog, Oliver Rautenberg has written an article titled "'Strong slaps' - About Violence in Waldorf Schools". In it, he describes a seemingly endless list of reports of teacher violence in various German Waldorf schools. I was surprised at just how many there were, especially in light of recent attempts by French Anthroposophists to claim that Grégoire Perra [1] was alone in his criticism of Waldorf schools, a claim they had to change to a claim that he was the only critic in France, which of course is also not true...." — Margaret Sachs [2], November 8, 2019 [https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/32209].

In his survey of teacher-on-student violence in Waldorf schools, Rautenberg reaches as far back as the founding of the first Waldorf school (1919, in Germany) and he carries his survey forward to the present day. He focuses primarily on German Waldorf schools, but he also mentions episodes of violence in Waldorf schools in other countries.

Here are excerpts from "'Kräftige Ohrfeigen' – Über Gewalt an Waldorfschulen" {"'Strong Slaps in the Face' — About Violence at Waldorf Schools"} [3]. Because of the exceptional importance of the topic — and the great controversy surrounding it — this will be an unusually long item for the Waldorf Watch News. (I will make occasional interpolations, marked by my initials, RR.) [4]

"Strong Slaps in the Face" — 

About Violence at Waldorf Schools

There are reports of violence in Waldorf schools — violence by teachers against pupils. Is this regrettable but "normal," because Waldorf schools mirror society at large? Or are there specific reasons for violence at these esoteric private schools, which are so often depicted as being soft and cuddly? [5]

One thing is certain: Waldorf Schools like to treat accusations of violence as an exclusively internal matter. They want to prevent these problems from becoming publicly known. If children and parents make an official complaint, they become the problem. They are intimidated, interrogated — and often simply expelled from the schools. From the Waldorf teachers' point of view, talking about violence seems to be worse than violence itself.

Violence is a Waldorf tradition - since the first Waldorf school

Teacher violence was already a topic at the very first Waldorf School: the Waldorf School in Stuttgart, founded by clairvoyant and occultist Rudolf Steiner. After returning home from a trip, Steiner found the school chaotic because teachers had slapped pupils in the face and parents were upset. Steiner gave instructions that the incidents should be kept secret:

Secrecy as a principle

"I've only been back for hours now, but I've heard so much gossip about who got a slap in the face, and so on; it's already boundless, such gossip spread by people, that it was terrible for me. No, we don't have to care if gossip leaks out through the cracks. We have hard enough skins to withstand that, but we should not contribute to it ourselves. 

"Let us remain silent about everything we do in school. Let us stick to a kind of school secrecy." (Rudolf Steiner, Conferences with the Teachers of the Waldorf School, 1920)  [6]

Was the foundation stone laid then and there to cover up violence at Waldorf schools? More about that later. Meanwhile, the actress and "crime scene commissioner" Karoline Eichhorn [7] remembers her school days at the Waldorf school in Stuttgart during the 1970s:

"We had really hard teachers. They beat us, put us in the cupboard and chained us to the heating." (Karoline Eichhorn, "Chained to the Heater — Actress Didn't Experience Stress at Waldorf School, but Violence", Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, 2011)

Down to today, cases of beatings at the original Waldorf school in Stuttgart have been revealed:

"Police have apparently received two complaints from parents of former Waldorf pupils. The accusation: bodily injury and ill-treatment of those under protection. (...) The teacher is even said to have threatened pupils not to disclose anything about the alleged assaults." (Stuttgarter Zeitung, "Attacks at the Waldorf School?", 2016)

RR: Rautenberg proceeds to catalogue a long list of violent episodes that have allegedly occurred in Waldorf schools throughout Germany. He breaks the list down by decade: 1970-1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Here are a few of the more recent instances [8]:

At the Waldorf School in Jena, parents report in 2011 of "physical assaults" by a teacher against their children. The school then terminates its relationship with the parents. (TLZ, "Jena Waldorf teachers want to fire pupils", 2011)

At the Gera Waldorf School in 2012, a teacher attacks a student and slams him against a wall. The pupil is nonetheless required to sit for a class test. He was taken to hospital with a concussion. When he then changes to a regular school, he is judged to be a year behind. (The World, "Teacher Hits Unpunctual Students Against the Wall", 2012)

At the Waldorf School Münster in 2015, a teacher slaps a girl in the face. An expert calls violence "a weakness of the [Waldorf] school system." The school was concerned that the "image of the school would be damaged." (Ruhr-Nachrichten, "Teachers Right to Slap Girls in the Face", 2015)

At the Waldorf Kindergarten in Berlin in 2016, parents reported their daughter's bottom had been beaten. This was followed by a "disgusting rushing tirade" against the parents from the the kindergarten teacher, who argued that the child "seemed to ask for severe treatment." (Lead Medium, "Waldorf Is Anything But Safe", 2016)

RR: Rautenberg alludes to a study that concluded violence of at least some types is more common at Waldorf schools than at other educational institutions:

Study: Violence at Waldorf Schools more frequent than at regular schools

There are few studies on violence at Waldorf schools. However, one study in 2010 concluded that [some types of] violence was more frequent at Waldorf schools than at other types of schools:

"As the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported, according to the study certain forms of violence occur even more frequently in Waldorf schools than in state primary and secondary schools. There are hardly any crimes such as grievous bodily harm or robbery [at Waldorf schools]. The study shows, however, that pupils there are beaten and kicked more often. In addition, their property is destroyed more frequently." (Süddeutsche Zeitung, "More Violence at Waldorf Schools", 2010)

RR: Rautenberg proceeds to list reports of violence at Waldorf schools outside Germany. He cites instances in Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Holland, and Great Britain. He then traces the Waldorf penchant for violence back to certain statements made by Rudolf Steiner. He quotes these:

"Under certain circumstances it may even be necessary to beat them a little." (Rudolf Steiner)  [9]

"If we are really convinced of karma [10], then when someone slaps us, we must not say: It is unpleasant for me that you give me this slap!Instead one would have to say: Who actually gave me this slap in the face? I myself, for I have done something in my former life that caused the other person to slap me, and I have no cause whatsoever to tell him that he is wronging me." (Rudolf Steiner)  [11]

RR: On the subject of karma, Rautenberg alludes to the belief — evidently common among Waldorf teachers — that some students have the karma to be bullied while others have the karma to act as bullies. Because karma should usually be allowed to play out, Waldorf teachers may hesitate to interfere when some kids are bullied by others [12]. Rautenberg quotes from a document attributed to a Canadian Waldorf school:

"Can the karma or destiny of a child be that of a victim or tyrant? ... For a child who becomes a victim, it must be the role and responsibility of the teacher to determine how much victim support is healthy so that the child can be strengthened by the experience [of being bullied]." (Alan Howard Waldorf School, "Bullying Presentation to Faculty", 1999)

RR: I will skip ahead, here, to the concluding section of Rauteberg's essay. (I will condense the section.)

Is the reason for this violence inherent in the role of the Waldorf teacher?

How can this violence be explained? Are teachers who are willing to believe a psychic [Rudolf Steiner] and his inspirations from "higher worlds" [13] mentally unstable? Is the violence caused by the special role of a Waldorf teacher, who has the task of recognizing and assisting the child's "karma"? [14] Is it due to insufficient pedagogical training? [15] ... Is a Waldorf teacher overburdened because he is the primary teacher for a group of students for a period of up to 8 years, and thus subject to enormous pressure and, often, criticism? [16] Is it due to the image of the "highly esteemed teacher," as Rudolf Steiner put it...a teacher who is like a king, almost like a god?...

"In the Waldorf school the teacher rules; he is king, absolute monarch and not bound to any constitution except his understanding of human nature, against which there is no appeal and no vocation." (Klaus Prange, "Education in Anthroposophy. Presentation and Critique of Waldorf Education", Bad Heilbrunn, 1985).

The answer seems to lie in an unfortunate mixture:

Overstressed teachers, some of them poorly trained, encouraged to overestimate their own abilities, embracing an attitude reminiscent of megalomania. Teachers who, as an insular "karmic community of fate," jointly run the school [17] and seal themselves off [from the outside world]. A closed belief system that does not accept criticism from the outside and looks upon any external involvement as interference [18]. And the image of the child as someone who is guilty from birth [19] and who needs punishment, including physical punishment, for his proper development.

[11/9/2019   "'Kräftige Ohrfeigen' – Über Gewalt an Waldorfschulen"   Translation by Roger Rawlings, relying heavily on Google Translate and DeepL Translator.    Rautenberg posted his essay on May 14, 2019.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Grégoire Perra is a former Waldorf student who went on to become a Waldorf teacher. He is now one of the foremost critics of Waldorf education.

[2] Margaret Sachs and her husband sent their children to Waldorf schools before becoming disillusioned with Waldorf education. Ms. Sachs has subsequently become a prominent Waldorf critic. [See "Our Experience".]

[3] Oliver Rautenberg is an influential German critic of Waldorf education and Anthroposophy. His blog is located at https://anthroposophie.blog. 

For the full text of "'Kräftige Ohrfeigen' – Über Gewalt an Waldorfschulen", see https://anthroposophie.blog/2019/05/14/kraftige-ohrfeigen-uber-gewalt-an-waldorfschulen/. Machine translation into many languages, including English, is available in a sidebar. (Such translation is far from perfect, but it may enable readers to glean the gist of a text.)

[4] For previous coverage of alleged abusive treatment of students at Waldorf schools, see, e.g., the entry for "abuse" in the Waldorf Watch Annex Index.

[5] See "Glory" and "Slaps".

[6] Two translations of this passage have been given in English-language Anthroposophical publications that recount Steiner's meetings with the teachers at the first Waldorf school. Here is the earlier of the two translations:

"I have only been back here a few hours and I have already heard a whole heap of gossip, about who has had his ears boxed, etc. There is no end to what the people are saying; I had quite a shock. Of course, it need not worry us if it comes out in other ways. We are thick-skinned enough for that. But we must not be the ones to tell them. We must hold our tongues about everything we do in the school. We must keep school matters private." — RUDOLF STEINER'S CONFERENCES WITH THE TEACHERS OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL IN STUTTGART, 1919-1920, Vol. 1 (Steiner Schools Fellowships Publications, 1986), p. 41. 

("Boxing" someone's ears means slapping or punching someone on the side of the head. "Box ... verb (used with object) to strike with the hand or fist, especially on the ear." — Dictionary.com, November 9, 2019.)

Here is the more recent of the two translations of the passage in question:

"I have been back only a few hours, and I have heard so much gossip about who got a slap and so forth. All of that gossip is going beyond all bounds, and I really found it very disturbing. We do not really need to concern ourselves when things seep out the cracks. We certainly have thick enough skins for that. But on the other hand, we clearly do not need to help it along. We should be quiet about how we handle things in the school, that is, we should maintain a kind of school confidentiality." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 10.

[7] Karoline Eichhorn (b. 1965) attended the Waldorf school in Stuttgart. An actress, she has appeared in numerous films and television dramas. One of her famous roles was that of a crime scene investigator.

[8] See, also, "Child-Care Allegations auf Deutschland', November 7, 2019: 

"'I was told that some children were grasped by two educators by their hands and feet and held on the toilet seat for more than 30 minutes despite their resistance and screaming' ... Children are also said to have been dragged through the hall or garden of the school to the point of exhaustion, although they cried and defended themselves." — Berliner Morganpost, November 7, 2019.

[9] “Under certain circumstances it may be necessary to spank a child...." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 22.

[10] Karma is a fundamental concept in Anthroposophy and, therefore, in the thinking that underlies Waldorf education. [See "Karma".] Anthroposophists' belief in karma is related to their belief in reincarnation. [See "Reincarnation".]

[11] Here is a similar quotation as currently presented at a pro-Steiner website:

"Take a radical example [of karma]: someone has given another — me for instance — a slap in the face ... [How do we account for this?] I was here in a previous life, and so was he. I had, perhaps in that previous life, given him a reason to justify his present actions; forced him to do it, simultaneously directed him towards it ... [Hence] I, myself, delivered this slap because I have put him in this place, I have lifted the very hand myself which was raised against me." — Rudolf Steiner, "What Is Self Knowledge?", a lecture (transcript, Rudolf Steiner Archive), GA 108.

[12] See "bullying" in the Waldorf Watch Annex Index.

[13] See "Higher Worlds". 

Steiner claimed to be clairvoyant, and he said he could communicate with the dead. [See "Clairvoyance" and "Steiner and the Warlord".]

[14] Here is a telling assertion by a prominent Waldorf teacher:

“[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.

This conception of education places extraordinary pressures on Waldorf teachers because it requires them to do the impossible — to detect and steer something that does not exist (karma).

[15] See "Teacher Training".

[16] See "class teacher" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE)

[17] Waldorf schools are often — but not always — run collegially by the teachers, without headmasters or other administrators. [See "college of teachers" in the BWSE.]

[18] A core principle of Waldorf education, according to one authoritative body, is this:

"Freedom in Teaching: Rudolf Steiner gave curriculum indications that 'the teacher must invent the curriculum at every moment.' Out of the understanding of child development and Waldorf pedagogy, the Waldorf teacher is expected to meet the needs of the children in the class out of his/her insights and the circumstances of the school. Interferences with the freedom of the teacher by the school, parents, standardized testing regimen, or the government [emphasis added - RR], while they may be necessary in a specific circumstance (for safety or legal reasons, for example), are nonetheless compromises." — "Core Principles of Waldorf Education", Pedagogical Section Council of North America (January 2013), CREATING A CIRCLE OF COLLABORATIVE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP, edited by Waldorf teacher Roberto Trostli (Waldorf Publications, 2014), p. 157.

Steiner instructed Waldorf teachers to reject such compromises. Indeed, he argued that Waldorf teachers will know they have gone in the wrong direction if they find themselves acting in ways that outsiders would recommend or praise:

"What is important is that we cannot be moved to make any compromises ... As teachers in the Waldorf School, you will need to find your way more deeply into the insight of the spirit and to find a way of putting all compromises aside. It will be impossible for us to avoid all kinds of people from outside the school who want to have a voice in school matters ... [But] when those people working in modern pedagogy praise us, we must think there is something wrong with what we are doing. We do not need to immediately throw out anyone who praises us, but we do need to be clear that we should carefully consider that we may not be doing something properly if those working in today’s educational system praise us. That must be our basic conviction." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, pp. 117-118.

[19] I.e., through the processes of karma and reincarnation, the child carries the effects of her/his misdeeds committed during past lives. The effects of past misdeeds constitute a major portion of the child's karma.

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 8, 2019

SOME PARENTS PLEASED 

BY AVANTI'S CHANGES

Harsh inspection reports have caused turmoil at several Steiner schools in the United Kingdom [1]. Some parents of students attending targeted Steiner schools have protested changes that may be implemented at those schools [2]. But other parents profess gratitude for such changes.

The following is from Somerset Live [county of Somerset, UK]:

Parents say Avanti Trust [3] is a 

'breath of fresh air' for rebranded 

Frome school after transfer completed

The Steiner Academy will now be known as Avanti Park School

By Jack Colwill

Image: Steiner Academies/Avanti [4]

.

Parents of children at a Frome school taken over by a trust which specialises in Hindu faith-based education have welcomed the takeover...

The Avanti Schools Trust now oversees Steiner schools in Frome, Bristol and Exeter — a transfer which was completed on November 1.

The schools have been re-branded as part of the process, with Steiner Academy Frome officially being renamed as the Avanti Park School...

The Frome school has experienced a turbulent time after it received an 'inadequate' rating [5] following an Ofsted inspection [6] in 2018. This judgement was upheld after a monitoring report earlier this year, with the school then being described as "dysfunctional" .

Protests were held outside the Department of Education in Bristol last month over plans to cut the school's provision at 13-years-old in Frome, whereas the schools have previously been all-through [7].

However, parents [8] are hopeful that the Avanti takeover will bring better fortunes for the school and are "feeling positive" about the new governance, although sadness was still expressed for the ending of the Steiner school...

The completion of this takeover will bring about a curriculum review across the schools to decide how best to integrate the existing values of the school with Avanti's outlook [9]...

A letter from the Avanti Trust, which was sent to all parents and staff at the three ex-Steiner schools, stated that while there may be need for changes, this would not mean completely abandoning the positive aspects of the previous governance and reiterated the desire to bring these previously struggling schools up to their high standard....

It said: "All of us at Avanti understand that your school has been through a troubling period recently, and that worries and anxieties will inevitably exist.

"In due course, there will need to be carefully considered and fully articulated changes in these schools, but we hope you are reassured by the essence of the Avanti Way and what we stand for.

"Our ambition is that these schools become as high quality as all our other schools, but this does not mean discarding all that has been achieved in the past."

[11/8/2019   https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/parents-say-avanti-trust-breath-3511519    This article originally appeared on November 7.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[2] See "Pro-Steiner Protestors Await Consultation Outcome", November 6, 2019.

[3] Avanti is a "multi-academy trust," an organization that runs multiple school under a single board of directors. Avanti assumed control of three Steiner schools that school inspectors had judged to be subpar. In the past, Avanti exclusively ran Hindu schools in the United Kingdom. [See https://avanti.org.uk.]

[4] The shield shows a lion (a traditional emblem of Great Britain), a flaming torch (presumably representing the light of knowledge), and a lotus flower (in Hinduism, a symbol of spiritual virtues). No distinctly Anthroposophical images are included (although Rudolf Steiner referred to the lotus in some of his teachings).

[5] This is the lowest rating a school can receive from the official inspection service. It is a failing grade.

For an account of events at the three Steiner schools, see "Inadequate: Bristol, Frome, &..."

[6] The inspection service is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). [See https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.]

[7] I.e., Steiner Academy Frome had offered education spanning the lowest grades through the end of secondary education (year 11, when students are about 16 years old). Avanti Park School will not offer instruction beyond year 8 (when students are about 13 years old).

[8] I.e., some parents (not the ones who protested the planned changes).

[9] This is the key issue. To what degree will the restructured schools remain true Steiner schools? Indications are mixed. 

Avanti will call the shots, subject to approval by UK education authorities. To one degree or another, control of the schools has been taken away from Steiner proponents. And as an Avanti spokesperson has said, “We have made it clear from the beginning, [these schools] will first and foremost be Avanti schools. This is not Avanti joining the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, this is Steiner schools joining Avanti.” [See "Changed Steiner Schools — No Longer Steiner At All?", October 23, 2019.]

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 7, 2019 

CHILD-CARE ALLEGATIONS 

AUF DEUTSCHLAND 

Waldorf schools are often alluring. They seem to offer children a safe refuge from the chaos and strife of modern life. They seem to be happy places where children paint, draw, knit, bake bread, and play freely. There is usually a warm, protective, spiritual atmosphere in these schools — an almost-palpable sense of uplift and spirituality. [1] Many parents select Waldorf schools for precisely these reasons.

But, occasionally, reports emerge that present a very different impression of life inside Waldorf schools [2]. There are tales of abuse, bullying, violence, and inappropriate relations between teachers and students. Taken individually, as isolated anecdotes, these stories may mean little or nothing about the Waldorf movement overall. But when many such reports pile up, and when patterns are detected within them, troubling suspicious may begin to seem justified [3].

From Berliner Morgenpost {Berlin Morning Mail}:

Children were said to have been 

mistreated in Waldorf Kindergarten 

Lübeck public prosecutor investigates after several allegations 

of child mistreatment at a Waldorf kindergarten. 

...The crib beds were apparently lovingly covered, the furniture and the atmosphere cosy and child-friendly. The furnishings seemed to Vera Berg [4] like a harmonious place far removed from contemporary life. "It was the most coveted kindergarten in the town. I wanted the best for my child." Berg would have "done everything," as she says, to be able to register her son in the Waldorf kindergarten in her small town in Schleswig-Holstein [5]...

[T]he call came a little later: a place was available ... Her two-year-old should be able to start as early as next autumn...

That was in the winter of 2014; today Vera Berg and her husband have raised serious accusations against the institution and reported them to the police...

She says she learned from a teacher and other parents over the course of two years that children were daily forced to go to the toilet against their will [6] ... "I was told that some children were grasped by two educators by their hands and feet and were held on the toilet seat for more than 30 minutes despite their resistance and screaming."

In other cases, children were isolated and exposed to the winter air without a jacket or cap [7]. Children are also said to have been dragged through the hall or garden of the school to the point of exhaustion, although they cried and defended themselves [8].

The public prosecutor's office in Lübeck is currently investigating the Waldorf kindergarten on suspicion of maltreatment of children in their care, harming six children aged between two and six years. "...[F]ive persons employed there as educators are accused of mistreating their students [9]," says the spokeswoman of the public prosecutor's office, Ulla Hingst....

[11/7/2019     https://www.morgenpost.de/vermischtes/article227576215/Waldorf-Kita-Kinder-misshandelt-Eltern-Berichte-sorgen-fuer-Entsetzen.html. Translation by Roger Rawlings, relying heavily on Google Translate and DeepL Translator.] [10]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See, e.g., "Upside" and "Glory".

[2] See, e.g., "Sex Abuse Allegations — Inadequate Supervision?", October 21, 2019.

[3] See "Slaps" and "Extremity".

[4] This name, the newspaper explains, is a pseudonym.

[5] Schleswig-Holstein is a state in northern Germany. Lübeck is a city in Schleswig-Holstein.

[6] This would seem to violate the standard Waldorf approach to toilet training. [See, e.g., the section "12.19 Toilet training" in A WALDORF GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S HEALTH (Floris Books, 2018).] 

Comments such as the following have been posted on the Internet: "I found the gentle approach of Waldorf's toilet learning to be most helpful."  — https://www.theminimalistmom.com/simplepotty/. 

Often, Waldorf schools leave toilet-training to parents, although the teachers will evidently assist with the youngest students. [See, e.g., "Responsibility for toilet training rests with the parents, and children are expected to be toilet trained prior to admission...with the exception of those entering the 2-year-old class." — http://www.cwaldorf.org/programs/early-childhood/nursery-class/.]

[7] Many Waldorf schools send children outdoors to play in all weathers. "Waldorf schools' very distinctive phases of education show themselves clearly in the treatment of nature ... In the pre-school, kindergarten and first elementary years, rich, direct experiences of nature are encouraged. Children play outside in all weathers...." — https://www.k12academics.com/alternative-education/waldorf-education/education-philosophy-waldorf-education/nature-science-waldor. Normally, however, the children are appropriately dressed.

The charge that children were "isolated" outdoors without proper clothing may refer to an unusual form of punishment.

[8] This, too, may refer to a form of punishment. Rudolf Steiner said that Waldorf teachers, particularly in the earliest grades, should exercise unquestioned authority. Students, in other words, should be unhesitatingly obedient. 

"Between birth and the sixth or seventh year of life...[children's] souls are open to consciously receiving what works on them from teachers on the basis of a natural, unquestioned authority." — Rudolf Steiner, RUDOLF STEINER IN THE WALDORF SCHOOL (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), pp. 3-4. 

If children's souls are not open in this way, Steiner indicated, they should be. Disobedient students may need corporal punishment, he said — although he urged teachers to find other approaches, when possible.

“Under certain circumstances it may be necessary to spank a child ... I have to admit that there are rowdies....” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 22.

If Steiner did not advocate dragging students until they are exhausted, he did advocate giving children physically painful punishments.

“[W]hen there is some punishment...you can be particularly effective if you allow [sic] them [students] to stand in some uncomfortable place ... We could also buy a number of little sheds [to put students in for punishment] ... They may even get cramps in their legs. We could have the sheds built in the shop class.” — Ibid., p. 110.

[9] Although the article focuses on "Vera Berg" and her child, the alleged problems at the school were apparently significantly more widespread. Berg says she heard allegations from "a teacher and other parents," and the article speaks of six children allegedly harmed by "five persons employed there as educators" at the school. 

[10] For another report in the German media about troubling situations in Waldorf schools, see, e.g., "Probleme im Trierer Waldorfkindergarten: „Unser Kind hatte immer größere Angst“ {Problems at the Waldorf Kindergarten in Trier: "Our child was more and more afraid"}, Volksfreund, November 29, 2018 [https://www.volksfreund.de/nachrichten/themen-des-tages/unser-kind-hatte-immer-groessere-angst-da-hinzugehen_aid-34809307].

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 6, 2019

PRO-STEINER PROTESTORS 

AWAIT CONSULTATION OUTCOME

The turmoil at and around failing Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) continues [1]. Steiner academies in the cities of Bristol, Exeter, and Frome have been judged "inadequate" by school inspectors [2].The schools may be shut down, or they may be significantly restructured.

A protest was held recently by friends and proponents of Steiner education. Here is a new report published in The Frome Times. (The report focuses primarily on the Steiner academy in Frome, but its import generally applies to other failing Steiner academies.

Steiner Academy parents and pupils 

wait for news of ‘short-sighted’ 

upper school closure 

PARENTS and pupils of Steiner Academy in Frome [3] are waiting to hear the result of the consultation [4] about changes to the age range at the school from 3 to 16 to 3 to 13 – which would end the school’s GCSE offer [5].

During the consultation, which ended last week, over 100 parents, carers and children from the Frome and Bristol Steiner Academy, which is also facing a similar change, came together to protest outside the Department for Education (DfE) office in Bristol [6]...

Parents say that the change would have a ‘huge impact on the emotional wellbeing’ of children forced to move schools to continue their education.

The change has also been labelled as ‘short-sighted thinking’ by parents, who say Frome could run out of secondary school places by 2026...

The change to the school, which was placed into ‘special measures’ [7] by Ofsted following an inspection last year that rated the school as ‘Inadequate’ [8], could come into effect from September 2020 if given the go-ahead. 

It has been proposed by the Avanti Schools Trust’s board of trustees, the multi-academy trust [9] who are taking over management of the school, and the Steiner Academy Frome Academy management committee [10]...

Both Steiner Academy Frome and Avanti Schools Trust were also approached for comment – the academy said it was unable to respond as they were on their half-term break, and no response was received from the trust before going to press.

[November 6, 2019    http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2019/11/05/steiner-academy-parents-and-pupils-wait-for-news-of-short-sighted-upper-school-closure/    This article originally appeared on November 5.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[2] See "Inadeqate: Bristol, Frime, &..." and "S. A. Exeter". The inspections have been conducted by the UK government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), an arm of the government's Department for Education.

[3] In the UK, Steiner "academies" are "free schools" — similar to American charter schools. Free schools follow their own curricula using their own methods, but they are financed by the government and thus they may come under close scrutiny by education officials. Private Steiner schools in the UK are generally called "schools," not "academies" — they finance themselves and thus are generally more free to go their own way.

[4] "Consultations" hosted by the UK Department for Education are meeting between interested parties meant to resolve educational issues. [See https://consult.education.gov.uk.]

[5] The school would no longer be and "all-through school" taking students to the completion of their secondary education. One consequence would be that the school would not prepare students for General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations (GCSE), which are generally taken by students aged 15-16 to assess their attainments at the end of secondary education.

[6] The proposed changes at these schools result indirectly from the inspections conducted by Ofsted. However, the changes have been conceived by the Avanti Schools Trust, which has taken control of the schools in an effort to improve them. [See, e.g., "The Steiner School Crisis - 2".]

[7] "Special measures" are emergency steps taken with the intention of rapidly improving subpar schools.

[8] This is the lowest of the four evaluations issued by Ofsted — it indicates a school is failing in its role as an educational institution.

[9] Multi-academy trusts are educational organizations that run two or more schools in coordination, under a single board of trustess. Avanti Schools Trust has, until now, exclusively run Hindu schools in the UK.

[10] This is, generally speaking, an internal committee charged with administering the school. But under the new situation caused by the school's failed inspections, the committee's authority is significantly reduced. The committee should now be working under Avanti to meet standards enforced by Ofsted.

— R.R.

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 .NOVEMBER 4, 2019

FAILED STEINER SCHOOL 

LIKELY TO FAIL AGAIN - II

News accounts indicate that the school intended to replace Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) may not open soon, if at all. RSSKL closed after receiving several highly critical inspection reports from British education officials [1]. Leaders of the school have attempted to create a "new" school that would fill the void left by RSSKL.

The new school, which is still in the planning stage, has been named Langley Hill Independent School. But now the preparations being made for Langley Hill have received two harsh inspection reports [2]. Langley Hill cannot open until it satisfies the inspectors.

The Hemel Gazette — a newspaper in Herfortshire, England — has industriously followed the developments at RSSKL and Langley Hill. Recently, we considered excepts from a brief update published in the Gazette [3]. Here are excerpts from a further, longer article in the same newspaper:

Why has the new Steiner school 

in Kings Langley failed another Ofsted [4]?

By Ben Raza

A new school in Hertfordshire has failed its second Ofsted before it has even opened its doors — and it is not clear when it will be able to start teaching students ... [I]t is unable to open without receiving the green light from a pre-registration Ofsted inspection.

The school is the successor to Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, which was based on the same site, employed many of the same staff, and closed 17 months ago following multiple failed Ofsted inspections.

The new school has now failed inspectors in both May and September [5]...

One major issue in May was "a complete lack of coherence in leaders’ planning about how they were preparing the site to open." The new report says that many of these weaknesses have since been addressed...

Plans for teaching personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, and e-safety [6]...are described as being improved...but are still "poorly planned".

There are "genuine improvements" in curriculum planning — but "there remain too many weaknesses".

The behaviour policy [7] has been improved, but training has not been organised.

And some areas of the inspection which the school previously passed have now been failed [8]...

Is Langley Hill a completely new school?

...It is on the same site, follows a very similar curriculum, and the report states that "many" of the new school's teachers will be former employees of RSSKL as well as around half of all staff [9].

The report [says] "There are not sufficient plans about how leaders will ensure that teaching and the quality of education are better than that provided in the school that was previously on the school site..."

Although RSSKL is no longer a school, it continues as a legal organisation — and is landlord to the new school...

The lease agreement between RSSKL and the new school allows people from RSSKL, or anyone commissioned by them, to gain access to the site [10]...

Avanti Foundation Ltd [11] has...long been seen as the main force driving the opening of the new school.

However the Ofsted report states this is a "service-level agreement", which either the school or Avanti could terminate in April [12]...

Ofsted remain unconvinced about some long-term issues...

The report states: "Leaders do not provide convincing evidence that they have taken enough consideration of the precise and extensive failings of the school that was previously on the school site...

"Entrenched failings of the previous school have not been sufficiently considered... [13]"

Bosses [14] had been hoping to open the school after the half-term holidays, which would have meant from Monday (November 4). Now no new date has been suggested [15]....

[11/4/19    https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/education/why-has-the-new-steiner-school-in-kings-langley-failed-another-ofsted-1-9128552    This article originally appeared on November 1.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See  "RSSKL".

[2] See "Langley Hill".

[3] See "Failed Steiner School Likely to Fail Again?", November 2, 2019.

[4] I.e., an Ofsted inspection.

Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education. The inspectors who have found so many problems at RSSKL and Langley Hill are Ofsted officials.

[5] For coverage of the inspection in May, see "Steiner School Inspections — Win Some, Lose Some (Cont.)", July 1, 2019.

[6] "E-safety," in this context, is protecting students from harm related to electronic devices and services, such as social networks on the Internet.

[7] I.e., the policy for dealing with student behavior and misbehavior.

[8] These include concerns about the safety of the school's physical plant, and renewing needed certifications.

[9] The concern here is that the "new" school would actually just be the old school under a different name. Given that the old school failed so many inspections in so many ways, the new school might be expected to embody the same faults and shortcomings.

[10] The implication is that RSSKL could control the new school. It would own the new school's buildings and grounds, and its representatives could be present throughout the school at any time they wished.

[11] Avanti is an educational organization that assumed a degree of control over the school, with the aim of improving it.

[12] If officials at Langley Hill terminated the agreement, the school would once again be guided almost exclusively from within (by teachers and staff who, in many cases, were holdovers from RSSKL). The implication is that Langley Hill could then become a virtually unfettered Steiner school, as RSSKL had been before Ofsted began finding so many failings in it.

[13] Again, the implication is that Langely Hill would effectively be a RSSKL in everything but name, embodying the same faults as before.

[14] I.e., the school's leaders.

[15] I.e., the opening of Langley Hill has been put off indefinitely.

— R.R.

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 .November 2, 2019

FAILED STEINER SCHOOL 

LIKELY TO FAIL AGAIN? 

From The Hemel Gazette [Hertfordshire, UK]:

New Waldorf school in Hertfordshire 

- but same old failings? 

By Ben Raza

A school which is the successor to Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) [1] has failed a SECOND Ofsted inspection [2] before even opening its doors to students.

Langley Hill Independent School was visited by inspectors on September 18-19, and found to be "unlikely to meet" multiple independent school standards.

And two key areas were safeguarding [3] — which played a key part in the closure of RSSKL last year — and the number of former RSSKL staff who will be employed by the new school [4].

According to the report, Langley Hill is unlikely to meet the required standards in multiple areas, including 'Quality of education', 'Welfare, health and safety of pupils', 'Premises of an accommodation at schools' [5], 'Quality of leadership in and management of schools', and the 'Statutory requirements of early years foundation stage' [6]...

Full story to follow [7].

[11/2/2019    https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/people/new-waldorf-school-in-hertfordshire-but-same-old-failings-1-9127180    This article originally appeared on November 1.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] For the tale of RSSKL's downfall, see "RSSKL". For coverage of the new replacement school, Langley Hill Independent School, see "Langley Hill".

[2] Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education. A department of the UK government, Ofsted inspects a range of schools in the United Kingdom. Ofsted has found serious problems at several UK Steiner schools. [See "The Steiner School Crisis".]

[3] "Safeguarding" at schools is the protection of the students, ensuring their safety while at school. Previous inspections faulted RSSKL for poor safeguarding, but inspectors also found problems in numerous other elements of the school such as quality of teaching and competence of management.

[4] The concern is that the large cohort of former RSSKL staff may intend to recreate their old school with few substantive changes below the surface. The "new" school would then simply be the old school disguised by a few cosmetic changes.

[5] I.e., preparation to provide accommodations for students with special needs.

[6] Waldorf schools are often particularly weak in early-childhood education. Rudolf Steiner said that children should not generally receive basic academic instruction until they are at least seven years old. [See "early-childhood education" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

The inspectors evidently anticipate that the new school would fail in almost every way a school could possibly fail — ranging from quality of instruction to safeguarding to school management.

[7] We will report on the full story when it becomes available.

— R.R.

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 .November 1, 2019

SEVEN METALS, ESOTERICISM, 

PAIN — AND ANTHROPOSOPHY

To understand Waldorf education, it is helpful to note the sorts of events scheduled within the Anthroposophical movement [1]. Here are some upcoming events announced at rudolfsetiner.org, the website of the Anthroposophical Society in America:

Seven Life Processes and the Unique Role 

of Metal Preparations in Anthroposophic Medicine 

Monthly webinars starting Thurs Oct 3rd, 5:30-7pm Pacific Time US

11/07/2019 6:30pm – 11/07/2019 8:00pm Online, Webinars - Live Stream, Medicine-Health-Therapies...

Anthroposophic medicine [2] recognizes seven interweaving steps of change — breathing, warming, nourishing, secretion, maintenance, growth and reproduction — all “life processes” which continuously unfold within us [3]. When they fall out of balance they can be supported through substance (remedy), though external application, or through therapeutic activity. The course will lead us through the characteristics and qualities of seven metals [4] used widely within Anthroposophic pharmacy ... Webinar sessions will first bring detailed teaching about the observable phenomena of these metals and minerals [5], then move to case presentations demonstrating their therapeutic application...

[https://www.rudolfsteiner.org/activities/event/article/seven-life-processes-and-the-unique-role-of-metal-preparations-in-anthroposophic-medicine-monthly/]

What is the Earth Asking of Us? 

Natural Science Section conference 

11/13/2019 5:30pm – 11/17/2019 1:00pm Central Region US, Conference, Sciences

The Human Soul [6] and the Earth in Crisis. Changing our Thinking about Climate Change.

November 13-17, 2019

Rudolf Steiner House, Ann Arbor, MI

...We are very pleased to announce that Johannes Kühl, Leader of the Natural Science Section in Dornach [7], will be with us again this year...

...The conference will open with a summary of modern climate science, lead us through consideration of both phenomenological and esoteric aspects [8] of human and earth evolution [9], and end with practical next steps [10]....

[https://www.rudolfsteiner.org/activities/event/article/what-is-the-earth-asking-of-us-natural-science-section-conference-november-13-17-ann-arbor-mi/]

Chronic Pain & Esoteric Initiation [11], 

with Dennis Klocek 

11/15/2019 7:00pm – 11/17/2019 12:30pm Western Region US, Workshop, Medicine-Health-Therapies, Esoteric Studies...

Rudolf Steiner College, 9200 Fair Oaks Blvd, Fair Oaks, CA 95628...

Chronic pain evolves from body issues to soul issues of fear, anxiety and depression. Rudolf Steiner’s famous phrase that wisdom is crystallized pain [12] points at a way to understand this widespread issue. We will explore the esoteric principles in the search for wisdom out of chronic pain [13].

[https://www.rudolfsteiner.org/activities/event/article/chronic-pain-esoteric-initiation-with-dennis-klocek-nov-15-17-fair-oaks-ca/] 

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Anthroposophy is the occult belief system — in a word, the religion — on which Waldorf education is based. [See "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]

[2] Such medicine, which is often found in and around Waldorf schools, deviates in many ways from conventional, scientifically proven medical practice. [See "Steiner's Quackery".]

[3] Strains of numerology run through Anthroposophy. [See "Magic Numbers".] Seven is one of Steiner's favorite numbers; he said it is the number of perfection. 

[4] Strains of astrology run through Anthroposophy. [See "Astrology".] Steiner taught that the seven astrological planets (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn) are associated with seven types of metal (gold, silver, iron, mercury, tin, copper, lead). These metals are thought to impart the powers of their planets, thus promoting human health and evolution.

[5] Anthroposophy identifies twelve key minerals, which it associates with the twelve signs of the zodiac. (Twelve is another of Steiner's favorite numbers.) Steiner's followers believe that minerals were "formed in ancient times, reminders of cosmic forces originating from the 12 signs of the zodiac ... The forces present in minerals are used in producing anthroposophic medicines, and in making preparations for biodynamic agriculture." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 79.

[6] Steiner taught that humans have both souls and spirits. [See the entries for these terms in the BWSE.] According to Steiner, the human soul and spirit are central to the cosmos. [See "The Center".] According to Anthroposophy, rectifying ourselves will rectify the natural world, and (to a lesser extent) vice versa.

[7] I.e., Kühl represents the Anthroposophical headquarters, which is located in Dornach, Switzerland. [See "Goetheanum" in the BWSE.]

[8] Anthroposophy is both occult and esoteric. [See "occult", "occultism", "esoteric", and "esotericism" in The Semi-Steiner Dictionary.] The terms "occult" and "esoteric" are largely interchangeable. Esoteric knowledge is possessed only by a few specialists or insiders; occult knowledge is hidden or secret. 

[9] See "evolution" and "evolution of consciousness" in the BWSE.

[10] Anthroposophists are concerned with the harm humanity is inflicting on nature. Their concern commendable. But whether "practical" solutions can be found in esoteric/occult teachings is doubtful at best.

[11] The process of esoteric/occult initiation (gaining access to occult spiritual wisdom) is central to Anthroposophy. [See "Inside Scoop".] Most Anthroposphists, including many Waldorf teachers, consider themselves to be esoteric/occult initiates. (They have deep wisdom that you do not.)

[12] "[O]ccult science has ever recognized what may be called crystallized pain — pain that has been conquered and thus changed into its opposite." — Rudolf Steiner, THE OCCULT SIGNIFICANCE OF BLOOD (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., 1922), p. 10. Note the title of this short book. (Steiner's most important book is the long text titled OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE, in which he lays out his central doctrines. In Steiner's usage, "occult science" and "spiritual science" are largely interchangeable — the terms apply chiefly to his own teachings, Anthroposophy.)

[13] Just as we must doubt whether Anthroposophy can produce "practical" remedies for climate change, we must harbor similar doubts about the practicality of Anthroposophy in treating chronic pain.

— R.R.

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