Why do the pictures by children at a Steiner school look pretty much identical?

[emkana]

ARe they told what to draw?

I need examples

this has the potential to kick off!!

I saw, in room after room, pictures displayed, about 20 at a time, and they looked near enough identical.

For example - yellow circle, blue background, I guess meant to be the sun. Identical.

A Roman speaking on steps, stretching out arm. Near enough identical, including use of colours.

I've just googled images of "Steiner School Artwork" and can reliably inform you that the results weren't identical. Although this came up and was quite alarming.

Children often copy each other's paintings. I remember at school we all started painting our skies in exactly the same way, by twirling the brush a la chimneysweep brush*.

Or they were probably all set the same task, like in proper schools

No this was really weird, it was in every single room and with every single painting/piece of art. Can't be conincidence.

Would the class not be following some form of curriculum? Like in normal school I mean? So they could have been studying a specific artist perhaps and been asked to draw there version of some art they have been looking at. In many schools you will find walls of several piece very similar - as the children all had the same task to do.

Yes but in every classroom, across the age groups?

Steiner schools have different colours for different age groups. They follow Geothe's theories about colour having different health and spiritual effects on people.

That could be a partial explanation.

Have you not seen any of the Steiner threads?
Had anyone used a black crayon?

Can't remember seeing any black.

I have seen thread titles for Steiner but have never actually read any.

A very specific technique of painting is taught in Steiner Schools. Children will have 1 painting lesson a week where they are taught how to paint a particular picture using a particular technique. This will be backed up by oodles of Steiner theory Don't even go there.

All the painitngs are the same because the teacher will put up all the children's pictures from 1 particular excercise to be democratic and non-judgmental (which is nice).

In my two and a half years of Steiner education with DCs, they never did any free painting at school.

I didn't find it spooky or sinister, but ultimately it was overly prescriptive for my dcs and we eventually had to get away from the uniform paintings....

I visited a Steiner School and was surprised by the amount of black swirly pictures everywhere. They even have these pictures posted on their website, don't they realise it just makes them appear a bit odd?

As I understand it, Steiner education is actually very prescriptive - the fact that it is not the NC doesn't mean that it is "free", it has its own curriculum and very specific views about lots of things. If you're looking for an alternative education where your children are treated as individuals, and where the education is child-led, then I don't think Steiner is the place to look for it.

emkana - in my daughter?s classroom at the moment, and the classroom next door (I pass by it every day) every picture is white with blue blobby bits. All identical (almost) all using cotton wool and white and blue paint. How weird (not). This is a CofE school and they have been doing artwork as a result of a project linked with a poet and the theme of winter.
Surely a lot of schools have displays like this? I don?t find it weird at all.

You are possibly talking about the wet on wet painting? They introduce colour slowly throughout the year and perhaps they were encouraging them to draw pictures of the sun. Although my children attend a local primary school, we have a lot of links with a Steiner kindergarten and a Camphill project school for children with various learning difficulties. It is one of the most inspiring, touching and caring communities I have ever had the fortune to be part of. There is a lot of hype about Steiner being different and so being "weird" "spooky" or "strange". Not been to many so cannot comment on that. However, being concerned over a bunch of paintings all being similar seems a little reactionary. I wonder if you would have even noticed/felt the need to start a thread if you had seen something similar in a CofE primary school?

Same in French pre-schools - all the pictures are identical. The children are told what to draw quite a lot of the time. Nothing wrong with this as long as there is plenty of time in a child's day for drawing what he/she wants as well.

In Italian schools too. The Italian school system likes it to be perfect not individual.

Yup, same in France. I can see DD getting more perfectionist by the day.

I try to compensate at home...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=preschool&threadid=411029-steiner-schools#8350333
www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=education&threadid=554507-steiner-school-scotland#11333651
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/454805-steiner-waldorf-schools-requesting-info-from-those-in-the-know ?pg=2
www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=education&threadid=508456-steiner-waldorf-schools-and-institutions-2#10 297103
www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=education&threadid=48786-steiner-and-other-alternative-forms-of-educati on-esp-m-cr#8436202

It is true that specific techniques and colours are used at different stages. My DD has been through primary level steiner education and I've always been really impressed with the quality of art teaching. Have to say I've always loved the art displays in the school.

fairywave-"It is true that specific techniques and colours are used at different stages."
What are the reasons for this?

plumandolive - not sure to be honest. It is to do with goethe's theory of light, I think but I wouldn't know enough to be able to explain properly. Have to say, it has really stood to my daughter though because she's now doing really well in art at second level.

This is a quite good piece
wet on wet painting