Parents disillusioned with the regular education system and looking for alternative solutions for their youngsters could check out the Steiner Waldorf system of education, a system based on anthroposophy which offers an attractive alternative.
Free Individuals
Rudolf Steiner said "Only free individuals can guarantee a liberal society, and they must be able to manage their own freedom with due consideration for the freedom of others." (qtd. in Childs, chap 12.)
Steiner Education Background
The founder of anthroposophy and the world-wide movement of Waldorf schools is Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Born in Hungary, he became a natural scientist, philosopher, scholar, educator, artist, interpreter of culture, and occult seer. His early education was attained at technical secondary schools and the Polytechnic institute of Vienna.
Anthroposophy Born
As Paul Edwards states in the Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, in 1902, Steiner became a lecturer and general secretary of the Theosophical Society's German branch. He formed his philosophy, whose interests lay primarily in the liberty of the spiritual sphere, by studying and editing Goethe's scientific writings, and through confrontation with the ideas of Darwin, Haeckel, Nietsche, and contemporary German philosophers. Steiner presented his method of teaching as a "spiritual science," which he named "anthroposophy."
Waldorf Astoria and Schools
In 1919, after the end of World War I, the first Rudolf Steiner Waldorf school opened in Stuttgart at the request of Emil Molt, the owner of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory from where the name originates. The first students were the children of the factory’s work-force. Steiner's new approach to education when the infrastructure of German society had broken down and the economy was suffering from hyper-inflation, was an act of great conviction and courage.
Steiner in London and UK
The first school in the English speaking world was founded in London in 1925. Presently there are over 25 Rudolf Steiner schools and many independent kindergartens in the United Kingdom. They form part of a network of over 1000 schools, 2000 kindergartens and over 60 training institutes, found in 60 countries all over the world.*
Society Breaks Down
Rudolf Steiner warned that society would break down in the classroom. He said, "We shouldn't ask what does a person need to know or be able to do in order to fit into the existing social order. Instead we should ask: what lives in each human being and what can be developed in him or her."*
Respect the Nature of Childood
Steiner claimed the impression of early experience affects the child's whole being; therefore it is essential to respect the basic nature of childhood and encourage each pupil to develop his potential.*
Investigate Thoroughly Alternative Options
Parents should investigate thoroughly the places and types of education they choose for their children.
- Read and understand the implications of the system
- Visit the school at different times of the day and year
- Observe teachers, helpers, children and parents
- Attend social gatherings – know the population of the school
- Ask the right questions and accept informed answers
Alternative Education Systems - A Trend or No Other Options
Parents should also consider whether they are choosing alternative schooling systems because they are interested in that particular educational philosophy or because they have grown tired of ‘conventional methods’ and are looking for any reasonable substitute for the 'regular' education system. Or because their children have learning disabilities or disturbances and cannot find their place in the state school system. Whatever the reasons, parents should check thoroughly, before enrolling their youngsters, that the alternative system of their choice fully meets their needs.
Sources:
Childs, Gilbert. Education and Beyond. Floris, 1992.
Edwards, Paul. Encyclopaedia of Philosophy. Vol 7-8. .13/14 Macmillan.
Lesley Lanir - Freelance writer, lecturer and teacher trainer Lesley Lanir, writes on foreign language learning disorders, linguistics, and literature.
