This Steiner-Waldorf educational concept emerged in the 19th century and was initiated by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher. The Steiner-Waldorf education is based on anthroposophy, a spiritual doctrine applying to education, agriculture, or even medicine. Today, this method is used as a basis for education in more than 3000 around the world. The main objectives of this Waldorf approach are to respect the period of childhood, cultivate the connection to nature, open up to the world and teach children to live together.
The birth of Waldorf education
The Waldorf approach was developed by Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher, artist, and educator who lived from 1861 to 1925. Steiner dedicated his life to the study of human beings and our relationship to the universe. His approach advocates a humanist worldview while integrating the material and spiritual dimensions of the person.
In 1919, Steiner was invited by the manager of German cigarette factory Waldorf Astoria to set up a school for the workers’ children. The owner, Emil Molt, was seeking a curriculum that would not only meet the children’s intellectual needs but speak also to their spiritual essence and humanity, thereby helping them to flourish in the turbulent aftermath of the Great War.
What are the fundamental principles of Waldorf education?
The Waldorf education, founded on the study of human nature as initiated by Rudolf Steiner, was born from the desire for free and healthy beings, capable of bringing forces of renewal to social life. To do this, Steiner developed 3 main fundamental principles on which his method is based:
– The right to trial and error, i.e. making mistakes that we learn from
– Experimentation by discovering how things work and applying this knowledge
– Cooperation by learning through dialogue and exchange.
These abilities begin in three major phases of development towards adulthood, each of them spanning seven years: early childhood (0-7 years), middle childhood (7-14 years) and adolescence (14-21 years). The Waldorf School assumes that children have educational needs based on their stage of development.
How Waldorf education programs work
The program is designed to meet various stages of a child’s development. Building on this study of human nature, the emphasis is not only on learning content, but on how to learn it. It allows the child to relate their learning to their own life, and to only do it when they are able to truly understand it. That way, the child will be interested to learn on their own. For that reason, Waldorf education does not transmit any academic knowledge to pupils before the age of seven. They are first offered to celebrate holidays and to listen to stories. Moreover, children’s development, their autonomy, and their way of interacting with other students take precedence over grades.
Arts and practical work are integrated into every element of the school curriculum, bringing everything worth teaching to life so that a child can relate to it. Waldorf schools place a lot of emphasis on creative activities such as drawing, music, gardening, among others. Languages are an integral part of the curriculum and children learn two modern languages from the first grade. When they finish secondary school, students participate in internships that prepare them for the professional world.
The role of parents within Waldorf education method
In all Waldorf schools, parents are involved as real partners. They support the education of children, the life of the classroom, and help with administration, external relations, construction work, and the organization of celebratory parties for holidays throughout the year.
Monitoring, reports, and ratings
Waldorf education institutions want to be fully autonomous in terms of teaching method and program creation. However, they are flexible with regard to the levels of convergence with national education systems in order to give the opportunity to students who wish to follow through with them.
By assigning monitoring to a single teacher during the first cycle, it is easier to assess the progress of each student. There is real mutual solidarity between teachers and parents for a relevant evaluation.
Grades are only part of the student’s knowledge. This is why they are replaced, for the primary cycle, by an annual report with a portrait of the child and their behavior. In this report, they can see objectives achieved and strengths and weaknesses. Report cards are only distributed once they enter high school and reach a certain level of maturity, so that they understand that the grade does not reflect the acquisition of knowledge.
Waldorf education is currently used in over 64 countries, with most Waldorf schools being in Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA. The widespread appeal is due to it giving equal attention to the physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual needs of each student and is designed to work in harmony with the different phases of a child’s development.
