to wonder what happens to all the Steiner kids when they get to secondary age/13?

[Greensleeves]

Do they get their Hogwarts letters, or what?

All the Steiner schools I know of (bar one, in a very expensive area where most people can't afford to live, only the plummy rich pseudo-hippies) finish at 11 or 13. It must be pretty difficult to make the transition to a bog-standard local school, surely?

They continue to live in lala land and struggle to separate fantasy from reality?

I think Sassy that your comment rather more sums up the majority of people who comment on their 'opinions' of Steiner without any first hand experience of the schools or the children who attend them.

I agree with Sassy

Probably Sassy comments on the second hand experience of knowing families who use them.(they do tend to be a certain type). I doubt whether many of them go down the conventional route at 11yrs.

I went to secondary school with a few kids who were Steiner educated till 11. They settled in fine! The school provided education till 16 and some children did, many went to the local sixth form college with the rest of us and did A-Levels etc.

Unsurprisingly, the children I knew (two of whom are still friends now - one's an immunologist, the other is an environmental health officer! both did well at GCSE and A-level) came mostly from families with quite 'alternative' lifestyles - high proportion of vegetarians, CND stickers, long hair, natural fibres, etc.

that wasn't very clear, I mean that I knew both kids who left Steiner education at 11, and kids that left at 16.

I'm as lentil-weavery as they come, Steiner schools are not lentil weavery. They are frankly odd. We looked around one when DD1 was coming up to nursery age, went round with fixed grins on our faces and got out as fast as we could.

We Home Ed.

Au contraire Planet - my opinion is very much based on my personal experiences of Steiner alumni

msbuggy - I wonder if the schools vary? Being a bit of an extreme rationalist, I wouldn't send dd to one, but I know plenty of perfectly sensible families who use the steiner school near us. Given that the state system round here offers very little variety (very Christian, traditional, rural primaries) I think it is frequently the only alternative for those who don't want to home ed, and aren't happy with the mainstream.

I think schools vary in how open they are about their beliefs Takver - some are much more cagey about spirits and souls and present themselves as an artsy-crafty alternative education.

I guess though some people feel that they prefer Steiner mumbo jumbo + alternative education to Christian mumbo jumbo + mainstream ed . . .

(In DD's school, for example, they have to pray three times a day - not a CofE School, just mainstream community primary, & we'd have to travel at least 15 miles to get anything different.)

They pray in Steiner schools too though - just aren't so open about it.

The kids at out local Steiner School go on to a small and fairly arty comprehensive when the yare 14, but there are plans to offer post-14 education at the Steiner school in the future. I think the kids do OK there, although they tend to be behind in some areas and ahead in others.

There are no secular state schools in England, Takver, so (if you are in England) you would have to travel a lot further than 15miles. I have no idea about Steiner schools and religion.

We live about 45 minutes from Michael Grove, I would love DD to go there but it is a bit too left-field for DH :(

I have a friend (now about 35yo, non-white, mild learning difficulties) who attended a Steiner High school (happily), thru age 16, I think. I've tried to ask her about the religion side, disablist philosophy, she never heard of any of it.

I went to a Steiner school until the age of 11. Loved loved loved it, felt happy and secure. We all had to go to middle school when the school closed due to lack of funds and I for one found the transition hard for a while. There were 12 of us in the "big class" of the steiner school. Two are lawyers, 2 accountants, one is a CEO, I am an HR manager, 2 are hippy travellers and the last 3 are also in similarly boring and conventional jobs. We all seem to be high earners and quite materialistic except for the two travellers but they are equally committed to their lifestyle. Weird. I am picking up the troll screams around me but I don't care. My story is interesting.

oops sorry this is not the troll biscuit thread I was looking at, I take it back

How come its ok to call middle class people nuts, lentil weaving, odd etc? Is nuts ok but loon isn't? I think the whole offence at these names is, well what can I call it? Mad? Silly? Not so sure but whatever I don't support it but do hate hypocrisy, especially from the MN army.

I know a good few working class lentil weavers-or is that not the point? It is a term that gives people a picture. People even refer to themselves as lentil weavers-I have a slight tendency.

I sometimes refer to myself as a retard when I lose something or trip over, is that ok? I think the whole mn taking offence at these terms is absolutely pathetic but I just hate the double standards.
What is lentil weaving by the way? If it is a craft that is edible I would be very interested. The macrame is still stuck in my teeth.

I think, generally, it's nicer to avoid name-calling - after all, it's what we're supposed to be teaching the DCs .
I'm fully aware that I joined in the stereotyping earlier on in the thread, when I think it was stereotyping in jest. Apologies if it offended anyone.
Still would'nt recommend Steiner ed as an option though.

Lentil weaver is just a description like comfortable shoes type or tree hugger, i wouldn't considerate offensive in the slightest. What could be offensive about weaving lentils .

I don't find it offensive-it makes it sound as if there is something wrong with 'alternative' ways.