I know several people who were educated in Waldorf schools and they seem all well-adjusted and happy. I considered sending my kids there but gave up because of the language taught (German) but not sure this is the case for all of them. I think it is worth visiting the school, hanging around and finding more about it. Talk to parents and kids.
I started reading about the methodology the waldorf-steiner employs and I started wondering along the lines of these " myths"
*The questions helped to make an assessment of what the authors call “seven myths about Waldorf Education”, detailing and expanding the doubts referred to in section 1. These myths are as follows:
1. Waldorf graduates are not able to pass the admission examinations to Brazilian colleges and universities
2. They are not admitted to first-rank colleges and universities; 3. Once accepted by a good college or university, they are not able to finish their course; 4. Most Waldorf graduates become artists; 5. Waldorf Education does not prepare its students for the job market; 6. It does not prepare its students to be professionally competitive; 7. Waldorf is a religious education. *
Even after reading the document I am still concerned about : -
*Parents who decide to send their children to a Waldorf school know that they are taking a courageous step to be “different”. The decision is not easy, because Waldorf Education really presents many differences in comparison with other teaching methods. Here are some of the most obvious ones: - No text books are used – students create their own; - There are no tests and no exams; - There is no failing of a grade; - Reading and writing begin only in first grade and may take a long time to learn; - All students remain grouped together from the first to the last (twelfth) grade (with occasional exceptions due to students entering or leaving the school); - There is a teacher, called a “class teacher”, who takes a class in grade 1 and ideally stays with the class until grade 8, teaching all the main subjects: Mathematics, History, Geography, the native language and sciences; - These main subjects are taught in “main lessons”, in daily classes which run over three or four weeks; - Ideally, students learn sciences such as Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Geology using the so-called “Goethean phenomenological principle” – this means that first of all they intensely experience and describe the related phenomena, and only later come to learn and elaborate intellectual concepts about them; - Arts have the same importance and receive the same attention as all other school subjects; this means that they are not organized as extra classes or elective subjects; they include form-drawing, sketching, painting, sculpture, pottery, weaving, music, drama and handicrafts; furthermore, in the elementary and middle schools (grades 1- 8) every subject is taught in an artistic way; - Waldorf Education is based on the Anthroposophical concept and understanding of the human being developed by Rudolf Steiner at the beginning of the 20th century, particularly with regard to concepts involving the processes of child and adolescent development. The content of each school subject and the way the subject is taught follow specific concepts about the characteristics of each age level.
* I get the feeling that Leigh Blackhall would have endorsed the Waldorf- Steiner approach .:) *
> Even after reading the document I am still concerned about.
It is true that the Waldorf-Steiner school is different as it follow a holistic approach so all subjects are integrated in cycles. As I said, I have met many ex-students from the São Paulo school and they have all enjoyed the experience and have adapted well to mainstream. My son's girlfriend did the first 8 years of schooling but then changed to the regular high school - she confesses that at the beginning it was a shock to learn all in fragmented ways but she eventually adapted. She is pursuing her studies now as a nurse at one of the best hospitals in town. I have been into anthroposophic medicine and doctors for ages and am very satisfied with the results <http://www.weleda.co.uk/About-Weleda/Anthroposophic-Medicine/stry/sub...> As I said, if you are interested in sending your child to a school, the best thing to do is to approach the community, visit the school on several occasions, hang around, observe and ask questions. Warm regards, Bee
>I get the feeling that Leigh Blackhall would have endorsed the Waldorf- Steiner approach .:)
There are many progressive schools around - we just do not know about them. Take for instance Paul Geheeb's Ecole d'Humanité. It's basically the same concept of "community learning" and conviviality, which has apparently been lost in schools built for industrial times. http://www.geocities.com/~gianno/ecole.html
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