Steiner Schools?

[Moomalicious]

Does anyone have any experience with Steiner Waldorf kindergartens? My son is hating his preschool and I think this might be a better option for him but I'm an Atheist and am worried that may prejudice us.

I will just write a mail saying we changed our minds. My experience growing up in a Muslim country, albeit a secular one, shows that it is generally not a good idea to offend religious nuts by confronting them about their belief system.

Seriously, anyone who believes devil speaks through the radio is a lunatic in my book, and I'd rather they think we moved to another country or something.

rebelmum- I've actually heard that they try to net people at the kindy stage- a kind of friendly fishing type thing.
Once you're at kindy they hope you'll carry on to the next stage- and of course because everything starts much later- they don't move up to class one until they're at least 6, sometimes 7- the anthroposophical doctor advises as to whether they are deemed ready- by that time it's hard to transfer to mainstream.

Rebel- do you know WHY they teach mythology? I used to love that idea- I love myths and legends- but apparently it's because the children have all had past lives and as Steiner also mixes history and myth in a very big way- for the children's soul developpment the myths are meant to allow them to "recognise" their past lives as they learn about an evolutionary narrative - Steiner actually apparently beleived the myths as fact- as he beleived gnomes where real life forces too- and angels.
He beleived that Atlantis was where the ayryan race came from and in astral and cosmic forces...

Ive always found it a bit odd that they teach astronomy rather odd tbh - I just cant see the relavance for kids, as a project but not classes in it year on year.

Rebel- I don't think it's possible to update a beleif system like this- it would be like telling Catholics that the resurrection is a bit far fetched.

Rebel- I don't think it's possible to update a belief system like this- it would be like telling Catholics that the resurrection is a bit far fetched.

hmmm you make them sound like a strange cult but I wasn't left with that impression at all. The children were extremely well adjusted and confident and they transferred to a local Catholic School they were working in conjunction with at 14. They picked up mainstream really easily and their grades excelled. Most european countries don't teach reading and writing until 6. I understood the method of learning to be the main differentiator rather than the religious aspect. But I'm not that well informed I'm only speaking and from meeting children and adults educated using steiner prinipals. The teaching direction is open to interpretation and I think Steiner teachers may stick to original methods and understanding rather than adopting new approaches. I think the Catholics should update their teaching too!

Hi just caught this thread. Posted in th very begining.

TBH, my own recollection of my primary years is mainly being in tune with nature.Skying in winter and going o the lake in summer.
Awareness of the natural world, visits to farms, collecting and cataloguing plants and yes lots of fairytale mumbo jumbo about pagan festivals, the sun and moon and tides etc........but nothing sinister really.

Maybe my parents just did a good job balancing the act because in retrospect, I think they absolutely had no clue whatsoever about anthroposophy.

Personally, I don't mind that a school does not teach reading until age 6 or 7. What I do mind is if their reasoning is "No reading until their baby teeth fall out because that is when the kid's etheric body is born". (Wtf???)

And no, I can't ignore the nuttiness in the background, even if the results are good.

Do they all have to fall out??????

Dd still has some at 10!

and would have raised a riot if she's been prevented from reading for this long!

Etheric body my arse!

hardly anyone comes out of steiner schools as an anthroposophist.

I don't think there is any SECRECY about anthroposophy inspiring steiner schools. But you can't actually teach someone anthroposophy.

I grew UP in the steiner system. I mean my parents were actually anthroposophists and I am not religious at all.

I am not saying for a moment that most of the teachers are not religous, or that the rituals etc in the school are not religious. Actually most state schools celebrate religious festivals in some form (christmas, easter, etc)

There is nothing insiduous or underhand about it, is the point. PLANs is an organisation which mainly takes issue with steiner schools recieving state funding (I can see their point, btw). But a lot of the stuff on their website is a bit hysterical.

I have been to three 'open days' and two hour-long meetings with teachers of our local Waldorf Steiner school. In all this time, NOBODY mentioned anthroposophy, reincarnation, spirit world, banned use of the color black, morning prayer, devil speaking through tv & radio, etc.

If this is not "SECRECY", then what is it???

The school presents its philosophy as a gentle, art-based pedagogy, but that is not all, is it? If the importance of the spiritual/religious side of the philosophy is so important, why not tell prospective Steiner parents about it?

Coming in on the Landmark Forum stuff, I was so relieved reading this thread... My colleague has done Landmark recently and has become absolutely unbearable - she's been given two formal warnings by our boss (who is a reasonable person). She (the colleague) has always been a really good friend of mine and I was trying to figure out what had happened and was worried that she was having some sort of breakdown. Now I realise it is Landmark that has changed her. I hope it wears off... She's mad as a cut snake...

Thanks also for the info on Steiner, I was half-wondering about it for my DS, but now I've read this is it is a definite 'no'. There's quite enough barminess in our family as it is, thank you...

Sorry to gate crash, I just came across this and read the bit about baby teeth falling and reading out and am absolutely horrified.
Ds1 is 9, he has only lost 3 of his baby teeth. He has just read the latest Harry potter.
These Steiner people shouldn't be allowed to inflict their idiocy on defencless children.
In this supossedly enlightened day and age I find it amazing that there are adults stupid enough to buy into this "philosophy".
I pity their children I really do.

Cote- I couldn't agree more.Charlieandlola- of course it's secretive- they are extremely reluctant to talk openly about anthroposophy- which is - by their own definition- an esoteric organisation or whatever you want to call it- i.e.- only a few at the top are privy to the whole knowlege.

• sure you grew up in the Steiner system and your parents are anthroposophists- so presumably they beleived the re-incarnation,cosmic forces, ability to communicate with the spirit world- the fact that man didn't evolve from animmals but has been on earth since it began- the Atlantian and Lemurian race were real, gnomes are real life forces etc etc?

Anyway- as cote says= ther's NOTHING about anthroposophy in any literature to do with the school my kids were at. Why not- because they are secretive. PLANS isn't the only organisation trying to find out about it either- there are plenty in this country too- they can't all be wrong can they? www.easeonline.org/ www.chaseuk.info/ this just confirms my beleif that most people at Steiner schools haven't the slightest idea about what's the core of the ideas behind them.

rebel- I know there are alot of good things about some Steiner schools- if you get the right ones, like all schools. My kids did get some good stuff out of it-( my big bug bear is the lack of upfrontness about anthroposophy.)
They can and do produce good results- I think I've written this before- they are fee paying, come from mainly middle class, very committed families- ( you have to give alot of time at Steiner- half days until they're 9 /10- lots of helping cleaning, gardening- all expected- you have to do it- so there's very heavy parent interest in the child's education. Therefore I think the kids have a head's start on many others.
If you haven't been involved- the impression you would get is the one you had- nothing sinister or culty- they WANT that to be the impression- hence not mentioning cosmic forces, spirit world, re incarnation etc....

Charlieandlolasmum - You are not religious, but are you spiritual? Do you think there is a spiritual realm?

How long has the landmark forum thing been going does anyone know- I'm just remembering a woman I used to work with who I think was involved- it's all coming back to me.... do they try and recruit new people as well?

Hi Northernrefugee39 - yep they use their 'gradutes' to recruit by invitation to a seminar - been going for over 20 years, known as EST before that.

There is a yahoo group that I've found really useful, I think I found it via Plans called Waldorf survivors (wasso).

couldn't remember the full title, it's: waldorf-anthroposophy-steiner-survivors-only

there is something else that the anthros were into called 'heartspheres' similar to landmark and another is biographical counselling - did you encouter any of these at your school?

another thing i found with people that have done this 'training' is they have this intense bloody stare they give you, waiting to see if you produce the password/secret handshake/hug - I have to move away from here soon (see my post 'help i'm living in a steiner community') I feel like I'm in the twilight zone.

I wish they would all piss off and eat chips

hi barking- thanks for info- we didn't have any of these at our school/camphill as far as I know- but there was alot of sort of midwich cuckoo stares and a real feeling that everyone knew some big thing that other people were on the outside of.
I couldn't find your other thread but will have another look later have to take kids to school in a min.
You poor thing- I really feel for you- do you really have to move?
If it's reached a stage where you feel so uncomfortable or an outsider that you have to move -I can't believe it. But it may be a massive weight moved- I know when we left the school/community - even tho we weren't living very near like you- we felt a tremenndous weight lifted.
My children were different kids- I felt so guilty then for sticking it out.

I'm so glad I stumbled across this thread. I go to a steiner M&T group along with a few friends. The M&T is lovely, very calm atmosphere, other Mums gently hippyish, lots of outside play, organic snacks etc (and we have made the gnome welly holders )

I have no intention of sending my dd's to the school but one of my friends is planning on sending her dd. She's drawn to the 'gentle art based pedagogy' as someone else put it but I'm not sure she's fully aware of the other stuff behind it. Now I just have to figure out how to raise it with her ....