What is Waldorf Education?

Waldorf Education was developed by Rudolf Steiner at the beginning of the 20th century. The name Waldorf came about as a consequence of the very first school to be inaugurated in 1919 being at the initiative of Emil Molt, Chief Director of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory. That school became the model for the Waldorf movement, leading to the building and development by 2004 of some 1,600 Waldorf Kindergartens and over 870 Waldorf or Rudolf Steiner schools world wide. These institutions offer educational activities from early childhood through high school and in some cases, programs for adults.

Waldorf or Rudolf Steiner education is a unique form of education from preschool through high school, and is based on the all important premise that the human being consists of body, soul and spirit. The specific methods used in Waldorf schools come from the view that the child develops through a number of basic stages from childhood to adulthood. The Waldorf curriculum is specifically designed to work with the child through these stages of development.

This distinctive approach to educating children, aims to enable each stage of growth to be fully and vividly enjoyed and experienced. They provide a balanced approach to the modern school curriculum. The academic, artistic and social aspects, or ‘head, heart & hands’, are treated as complementary facets of a single program of learning, allowing each to throw light on the others.

This is implemented by using art and langauge as a practice to develop the feelings, by nourishing children with the rich heritage of wise folk tales, histories, fairy stories, poems, music and games that are part of our world civilisation. This creates the cultural atmosphere in which the children are taught reading, writing, arithmetic, nature study, geography, science, languages, music and other subjects.

The unique quality of human beings is our capacity for conscious thought. Waldorf schooling strives to support the development of well rounded human beings who are able to feel deeply and broadly, to think penetratingly and clearly, and then to act rightly out of conscious and free choice. This enables children to realize their full potential by developing skills to meet life situations and fostering the molding of caring, engaged world citizens.

The best overall statement on what is unique about Steiner education is to be found in the stated goals of the schooling.

"Our highest endeavour must be to develop individuals who are able out of their own initiative to impart purpose and direction to their lives".

Rudolf Steiner