To wish parents realised that Steiner/Waldord Schools are based on anthroposophy?

[abacucat]

Anthroposphy is a system of belief that believes amongst other things, that people are reincarnated.
The way schools are set up and run is set by this belief system. Everything from the colour of the walls, to the curriculum, to the use of wood and no plastic.
And any schools that are listed as Steiner/Waldorf schools do follow anthroposophy.
If parents are happy with anthroposophy influencing every aspect of the school, then fine.

I’m just surprised I had no idea about it at all. I’ll ask my sister if she remembers learning anything about it. I spent most of my time making daisy chains or ‘writing poetry’ walking round the fields and pulling moonies at the steam train and didn’t pay much attention to any of it .

Steiner schools teach that the heart does not pump blood around the body.

They also classify the children based on physical appearance and the four humours.

There is no avoiding religion in any UK school. DD has attended two mainstream state schools and she hasn't been able to escape it. I've always explained to her that it's not reality, just a belief and lots of people believe lots of different things.

I'm an atheist and I don't really like any religion, but reincarnation seems more plausible than other religious ideas to me. Everything in nature gets recycled.

I think religion should be separated from all schools. But at least with christianity you are more likely to understand it as a parent, and therefore if you want talk to your kids about it.

They also believe that islands float in the ocean and that gravity is not real.

Religion should not be in state schools at all. Independent schools should possibly be able to decide themselves what they want to teach. We don't all need to think or believe the same.

I've only recently become aware of how batshit the Steiner philosophy is (there was a great thread on here in the last week).

I agree that people see the wooden toys and the outdoors-yness and run with it without asking questions.

Call me crazy, but I'm happy for my child to play with dolls with faces and the occasional bit of plastic tat.

Christian state schools still have to follow the curriculum for science.

And some steiner schools do get state funding.

Don't they believe autistic people did something wrong in a past life?

They believe all disability and illness is a result of karma.

"everything bin nature gets recycled"

There is nothing natural about the man made concept of the soul. It's entirely man made. No reason to believe in it or it being recycled. Have faith it exists, but to believe would suggest some empirical evidence of its existence.

Anyway I'm not an atheist. I'm agnostic. Don't know a thing! No reason to believe my opinion is fact!

Both DS went to Steiner home school classes. I have friends who went to Steiner schools and they are fab.

Norse legends and questionable beliefs about disability and race seems very Wagner and Hitler to me, and probably very acceptable in Steiner's lifetime. I never encountered this with the Steiner home school group, but my guess is that the cult like nature means they keep these unacceptable beliefs quiet. Shame most likely. But I suspect many people do indeed subscribe to these ideas but don't shout about it.

In not bin.....bloody phone

@LaurieMarlow any idea what that thread was called?

@PuffPuff
I think the thread was an AIBU about Christmas gifts being rejected as they were not wooden but can't remember the title sorry

I knew a bit about the closure of the KL school. I was a big fan of Steiner ahead of that but what I’ve read about what goes on there is quite shocking. I do believe it’s quite cult like. What normal person would continue to pay school fees for somewhere with multiple horrific ofsted reports. If this was your local primary you would just leave! There seems to be this belief that everyone else fails to understand the system and so the ofsted reports aren’t fair. But surely they must be?! It’s still running in part though. I think they’ve still got a kindergarten there which shows some people just won’t be dissuaded

I think the problem is less the reincarnation thing than the massive racism thing, tbf.

I have read parents on the internet saying their children are so far behind academically that they don't see how they could possibly transfer their children to a state school.

And any schools that are listed as Steiner/Waldorf schools do follow anthroposophy

No they don't. It completely depends on the school and how it is staffed. My DS went to a Steiner kindergarten where the parents remained with the children and there was nothing batshit at all. I've also visited local Steiner schools as part of my Master's in Education and things have moved on since they were founded.

They believe all disability and illness is a result of karma
Oh I see. Thanks. A friends DD's are in a Steiner School, it sounded great so I took an interest but they did say some weird stuff about eating veg picked on certain moon cycle days or something. My DS is autistic and my mum told me they have some strange idea's about the condition so I stopped pursuing the idea! I didn't realise about the race stuff too, wow.

The karma thing pissed me off. The idea that children chose their parents too.

I asked if my mate who had been sexually abused by their dad “chose” him. Silence....

Ooh not seen a steiner thread on here for years!

Do they still get zapped superfast? I suppose we'll find out soon...

Didn't know anything about them before a thread on here years ago, reading that and general Internet wow bonkers.

The idea that being disabled is due to misdemeanor in previous life is pretty far out

Plus the racism
And don't they believe in aliens or am I thinking of someone else

Anyone yes cult-like and worryingly so

I assume some schools are tamer on it than others but you're right the underpinning philosophy is grade a nutso with a side helping of genuinely concerning

whydont If they are listed on the Steiner/Waldorf website then they do. They have to meet criteria to be recognised as a Steiner/Waldorf school.

It was the thread about sending fisher price toys to the dear nieces.

It didn't get zapped (I don't think) but people seemed to be expecting it to be any minute.

Shame that it's censored as a topic.

I did realise that, I read quite a lot about them a couple of years ago. People do speak well of the teaching in many of them though.

I no longer have young children so doesn't apply to me but very interested to read experiences of other parents. Cant say I'm impressed with what I've read so far.