Waldorf schools — also called Steiner schools — generally claim to be nonsectarian. But, in fact, all genuine Waldorf schools are religious institutions operated in accordance with the tenets of Anthroposophy, a gnostic semi-Christian religion founded by the mystic Rudolf Steiner.
If you are considering a Waldorf school for your child, read a couple of books by Steiner. See if your view of the world coincides with his. Perhaps the best choice is FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER. In it, you will find Steiner’s instructions to the teachers at the first Waldorf school — you will learn, in Steiner’s own words, what Steiner intended Waldorf teachers to do with their students.
If, after reading Steiner, you still have an interest in Waldorf schools, visit the particular school you are considering and ask searching questions. Do the children recite a morning prayer or “verse”? Ask for the precise words. What sorts of books are in (or banned from) the library? Go into the library and look around. Are science courses taught straight, or with an antiscientific bent? Ask what role mythology plays in the curriculum. Ask especially about Norse myths. Study the student art on the walls. Do you see signs of individual creativity or a strange uniformity? Ask who Rudolf Steiner was. Ask for his views on evolution. Ask about clairvoyance. (Steiner claimed to be clairvoyant — and he taught that people can grow “organs of clairvoyance”). Ask about the purpose of eurythmy. (Steiner said this form of dance connects people directly to the spirit realm).
Bring copies of Steiner quotations that raise questions for you, then ask those questions. Try to learn how deeply committed the school is to Steiner’s doctrines. Not all Waldorfs are wholly alike. Some may distance themselves from various portions of Steiner’s teachings, especially Steiner’s racism. The problem, however, is that Steiner’s entire system is built on his clairvoyant, mystical “insights” (which include his racist “insights”).
Within the Waldorf movement, Steiner is often treated as a nearly infallible sage. Steiner claimed to use “exact clairvoyance” to learn deep, enduring truths about virtually all subjects. For his devout followers, disbelieving Steiner is almost unthinkable.
Almost any Waldorf school operating in today’s world will deny allegiance to some of the less savory parts of Steiner’s teachings, including Steiner’s racial teachings and his advocacy of the German national “mission”. But any Waldorf school where Steiner is still admired (remember that Waldorf schools are also called Steiner schools) will cling to various ideas and approaches that you may well find troubling. Chief among these is the mysticism that is fundamental to Waldorf/Steiner concepts.
A Waldorf school cannot wholly rid itself of mysticism unless it wholly renounces Steiner — in which case it ceases to be a real Waldorf school. Although Waldorf schools usually present themselves as nonsectarian, they stand on the foundation created by Steiner’s mystical system, Anthroposophy — which, despite denials, is a religion. You will never be happy with genuine Waldorf practices — those that derive from the pedagogy established in the original Waldorf School — unless you can affirm Anthroposophy.
Waldorf education is structured to bring the “benefits” of Anthroposophy to children. Waldorf schools almost never teach Anthroposophical doctrines, overtly, spelled out, to the students. But, crucially, Waldorf schools almost always convey Anthroposophical beliefs, attitudes, inclinations, and preferences to the students indirectly, covertly. This is what you will be signing your children up for if you send them to a genuine, Steiner-revering Waldorf (or Steiner) school.
So proceed cautiously. Study. Read. And visit the particular school you have in mind, asking questions, observing carefully. Visit more than once. Meet as many of the teachers as you can. Be a pest. Press persistently for honest answers about the school’s policies and underlying theology.
Don’t go cap in hand. Don’t think you and your family need to measure up to the school’s standards. Make sure that the school comes up to your standards.
If you mistrust any answers you receive from teachers or administrators at the school, send your kids elsewhere. Their lives are in your hands.
Source: https://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/advice-for-parents
