User:B0kch01b4rry/Steiner Schools Australia

Steiner Schools Australia

 * Australia wide there are currently fifty two Steiner (also known as Waldorf or Steiner-Waldorf) educational institutions, thrity six of these are governed by the Rudolf Steiner Schools of Australia (RSSA) and are located in all the States and Territories of Australia. As with all Steiner schools teachers are given a large degree of flexibility in developing the curricula within the collegial structures. As with all Steiner schools, the pedagogy stems from a humanistic approach based upon the philosophy of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner.

"The curriculum in a Steiner school reflects the developmental theory and philosophy on which it is based, namely an emphasis on the whole development of the child - spiritual, physical, moral and academic. At each stage of development, the curriculum is designed to engage the abilities of the growing child. In the kindergarten, this is done through guided creative play, in the primary school through the imaginative and artistic presentation of material by the class teacher and in high school through challenging the students awakening capacity for independent thought. In this way the Steiner curriculum responds to the developmental needs of the pupils at each level. It has proved to be a relevant and contemporary curriculum over 80 years, largely because it is broadly-based, integrated, interdisciplinary and comprehensive."

Rudolf Steiner Schools of Australia

 * The Rudolf Steiner Schools of Australia (RSSA) is the governing body of the Steiner model education institutions within Australia, it represents thirty six of the Steiner schools as well as the four state sponsored schools operating under the Steiner model. The Mission Statement of the RSSA is:


 * To promote nationally the educational principles of Rudolf Steiner.
 * To represent member schools and their views at a political level.
 * To safeguard the integrity of Steiner Education in Australia.
 * Ensure best practice, both educationally and operationally, in member schools through the identification of needs and the provision of support services.
 * To assist with planning and support in the establishment of new schools.

RSSA Role

 * Facilitates cultural exchange between member schools - delegates, meetings, conferences.
 * Provides advice, support and mentoring services to Steiner schools and individual teachers.
 * Facilitates the provision of consultancy services across a range of educational, financial and management issues.
 * Communicates to the wider community - educational, governmental and the media - the principles of Steiner education.
 * Encourages and supports the professional development of teachers - conferences.
 * Provides access to educational matters of general interest to all schools.
 * Keeps members updated on Government policy and legislative changes.
 * Represents the views of the members on common educational issues at governmental level.
 * Supports the development of new initiatives.
 * Assists with provision of educational resources - translations of publications from overseas and bringing together of resources within Australia.
 * Acts as a monitoring and accrediting body.

Studies on Steiner Education in Australia
A major quantitative and qualitative study of senior secondary students in the three largest Steiner schools in Australia was undertaken by Jennifer Gidley in the mid-nineties. It investigated the Steiner-educated students’ views and visions of the future, replicating a major study with a large cross-section of mainstream and other private school students undertaken a few years prior. The findings as summarised below contrasted markedly in some areas with the research from mainstream students at the time.


 * Steiner-educated students were able to develop richer, more detailed images of their 'preferred futures' than mainstream students.
 * About three-quarters were able to envision positive changes in both the environment and human development; almost two-thirds were able to imagine positive changes in the socio-economic area;
 * They tended to focus on ‘social’ rather than ‘technological’ ways of solving problems;
 * In envisioning futures without war, their visions primarily related to improvements in human relationships and communication through dialogue and conflict resolution rather than a 'passive peace' image;
 * 75% had many ideas on what aspects of human development (including their own) needed to be changed to enable the fulfilment of their aspirations. These included more activism, value changes, spirituality, future care and better education;
 * In spite of identifying many of the same concerns as other students – global-scale environmental destruction, social injustice and threats of war – most of the Steiner students seemed undaunted in terms of their own will to do something to create their 'preferred future';
 * There were no gender differences found in the students’ preferred futures visions or in the richness and fluidity of their creative images.

An Australian study comparing the academic performance of students at university level found that students who had been at Waldorf schools significantly outperformed their peers from non-Waldorf schools in both the humanities and the sciences.

In 2008, the Rudolf Steiner Schools Association of Australia funded a research project to investigate the relationships between Steiner pedagogy and related 21st century academic discourses. The report on the project is called "Turning Tides: Creating Dialogue between Rudolf Steiner and 21st Century Academic Discourses". A bibliography of all the studies that were identified is also available online as is the extended project data.

Public Education

 * In recent years two issues have arisen for public schools looking to establish a Steiner education stream within their syllabus. Within the Australian public school system, all schools must be secular, some debate has arisen as to whether the Steiner schools, whose pedagogy is based in the spiritual philosophy of Anthroposophy are in-fact secular institutions. Critics claim that the Steiner schools are in-fact ‘cult-like religious sects’, whose religion is Anthroposophy. Critics further purport that the schools: reject “modern [sic] medicine and psychiatry and promote [sic] belief in astrology and the existence of gnomes in the woods.” Dr. Aron of Cult Counselling Australia acknowledged that due to the decentralised nature of the Steiner schooling in Australia that the schools vary greatly in their adherence to Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy beliefs Supporters of the Steiner stream are adamant that anthroposophy is not taught to children,  and that the teaching methods provide a more holistic approach to education.. Though further evidence of the religious undertone to Steiner education can be found within Steiner’s own work:


 * “The position of teacher becomes a kind of priestly office, a ritual performed at the altar of universal human life."
 * “We can accomplish our work only if we do not see it as simply a matter of intellect or feeling, but, in the highest sense, as a moral spiritual task. Therefore, you will understand why, as we begin this work today, we first reflect on the connection we wish to create from the very beginning between our activity and the spiritual worlds ... Thus, we wish to begin our preparation by first reflecting upon how we connect with the spiritual powers in whose service and in whose name each one of us must work.”


 * “Among the faculty, we must certainly carry within us the knowledge that we are not here for our own sakes, but to carry out the divine cosmic plan. We should always remember that when we do something, we are actually carrying out the intentions of the gods, that we are, in a certain sense, the means by which that streaming down from above will go out into the world.”


 * ”It is possible to introduce a religious element into every subject, even into math lessons. Anyone who has some knowledge of Waldorf teaching will know that this statement is true.”

The second issue to have arisen is that of the Steiner method of teaching being contradictory to the standards set by the Education Department. This controversy involved the Footscray City Primary who in 2001 introduced a Steiner influenced program into their school, with members of the school council believing it could broaden the curriculum, boost the school's public profile and increase enrolments. A report conducted by Melbourne University researchers found the proposed Steiner stream to be in contradiction to the outlines set in the Executive Memorandum No. 2000/002 Specialised pedagogical and methodological approaches to education. The school does not currently have a Steiner steam program running at the school currently.

Useful Links
List of Steiner Schools Australia