A series of articles based on research and personal experience
Pseudo-Scientific Mystical Twaddle
[21-Dec-20]
Rudolf Steiner was a special character. A man who created a whole new philosophy (borrowed heavily from others, but still), and founded a movement that has infiltrated itself into many parts of society, including education, social care, agriculture and finance.
We see him being heavily quoted on social media, heralded as a mystic and guru, as someone who saw the inner workings of the universe, and wrote and spoke about it a century ago... [more]
One Hundred Years of Steiner Waldorf Schools
[8-Jun-19]
On the hundreth anniversary of Steiner Waldorf schools, and coincidentally, on the tenth anniversary of our children being expelled from the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School because we asked the staff to do something about the uncheked bullying in our eldest's class, we take a look back and explore what was gained from the Settlement we secured with the school, with the help of the Human Rights Commission of New Zealand... [more]
[9-Mar-19]
Dennis McCarthy, a teacher from the currently shut down Kings Langley Steiner School in England has been banned from teaching.
This follows accusations of sexual assault. During a hearing in February, the professional panel was told a list of allegations which went back almost a decade. [more]
The Underlying Principles of Steiner Education
[3-Mar-19]
Ofsted ruffled a lot of feathers at the end of 2018 and the beginning on 2019 by concluding that three of the four state-funded Steiner-Waldorf schools in the UK were ‘Inadequate’, due to serious safeguarding issues. This has led to a backlash from many parents whose children attend these schools. [more]
[25-Feb-19]
A research paper published in 2015 is currently making the rounds: “Growing a Waldorf-Inspired Approach in a Public School District”
It is an analysis of the benefits of a Waldorf-inspired education in the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD). What is getting people excited is how positive this research is about the outcome of integrating the Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy into the school system. [more]
The Inadequacy of British State-Funded Steiner Schools
[18-Jan-19]
We’ve been following the development of state-funded Steiner education in the UK for years. Recently, there has been a lot of media attention when Kings Langley was forced to shut down over safety concerns.
We now have learned that OFSTED reports are judging additional state-funded Steiner Schools in Great Britain to be “inadequate”. [more]
Triodos - Welcome to Anthroposophical Banking
[28-Dec-18]
We’ve been aware of Triodos, and had heard of their links to Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy of Anthroposophy for some time, but our focus had always been on the educational aspect of this belief system. [more]
Steiner Waldorf - Educating with (Feigned) Ignorance
[17-Mar-17]
Rick Salsa, the president of Canada’s Kelowna Waldorf School's Board of Trustees, finally spoke to news outlet “Castanet” after publication of an article in February describing how a third of students had left his school. [more]
The Myth of the Top of the Tree - Evolving Along Hierarchical Races
[23-Aug-15]
Steiner-Waldorf schools have come under a lot of pressure due to their founder’s alleged racial views, so much in fact that Steiner-affiliated organisations have had to publicly distance themselves from some of his writings. [more]
[1-Jul-15]
In 2015, ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) chose as their focus the subject of “Children in High Control Groups” for their conference in Sweden. The obvious relevance to Steiner education, together with a request to anonymise the organisation involved, led Angel to create the image of “Collateral Damage”. [more]
The Karmic Burden of Vaccination
[2-Jun-15]
As parents increasingly opt out of inoculating their children, childhood diseases like measles and whooping cough are making a determined comeback. Online and in the media, heated discussions occur as people express their views on the matter, and what to do about it. The situation is such that governments are now considering steps to stem this tide. [more]
Waldorf and the Media - The Lure and Appeal of a Low-Tech Steiner-Waldorf Education
[21-May-15]
Steiner-Waldorf schools, with their emphasis on outdoor play, wooden toys, hands-on learning and storytelling, seem to harken back to a simpler, more gentle, perhaps more human world, one which the rest of us appear to have left behind as we embrace our engulfing digital revolution. [more]
[30-Mar-15]
When people don’t like the questions you’re asking, some will attempt to stop you from being heard. We’ve encountered this numerous times since starting this site, but never is it clearer than when a question is being asked extremely publicly. [more]
[27-Feb-15]
It's four years since The Steinermentary Project was launched on the 150th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner’s birth.
Our own direct experience of Steiner education, as it was happening, had seemed like an isolated and isolating event: the actions of a "rogue" Steiner school. It was only when Steiner critics found our online account of what had happened that they vigorously impressed upon us that this acceptance of collateral damage to children and families was a well known characteristic of Steiner. [more]
Calling Time at the Celestial Watering Hole
[25-Dec-14]
Archangel Uriel's message did have us puzzled back when we received it, so we immediately sent it to Matt, a dear friend of ours, who knows his way around occult matters, and he promptly came back with a thorough analysis. [more]
[21-Dec-14]
Is Anthroposophy a religion? This question was the basis of a legal action initiated by the American Steiner-Waldorf critics PLANS, but after years of trying to work through the juridicial system, they were unsuccessful in getting a positive judgement on the matter. [more]
A Sudden Longstanding Concern - BBC Newsnight Report on Steiner, Racism and Unchecked Bullying
[2-Aug-14]
To mark the release of the previously withheld Department for Education (DfE) memos concerning Steiner schools and their approval into the free school initiative, the BBC's Newsnight did a report about what was contained within them. [more]
Genuine Change or Lip Service - The Ministry of Education's Te Ra Waldorf School Report
[31-Jul-14]
The Ministry of Education's "Final report of investigation into a complaint against Te Ra School" makes for fascinating reading for those who wish to know what lies under the curriculum of Steiner/Waldorf schools. Its author, Helena Barwick, spoke to many people to get as clear a picture as possible of what was going on beneath the otherwise lovely school environment, and focused specifically on the issues of racism, and the community's reaction to people who raise concerns. [more]
A Failure to Act - Sexual Abuse in Green Meadow Waldorf School
[19-Jul-14]
In July 2013, novelist Kate Christensen published “Blue Plate Special”, her autobiography in which she describes how she had been sexually abused by a Waldorf teacher she referred to as “Tomcat”. Staff of Green Meadow Waldorf School identified Tomcat as John Alexandra... [more]
A Duty of Care - An Open Letter to the British Humanist Association
[16-Jul-14]
The British Humanist Association's (BHA) recent information victory on Steiner/Waldorf education is very good news. Making sure parents have accurate information when choosing education surely cannot be faulted. [more]
The BHA’s Selective Approach to Steiner Criticism
[2-Jul-14]
The British Humanist Association's (BHA) recent information victory on Steiner/Waldorf education is very good news. Making sure parents have accurate information when choosing education surely cannot be faulted. [more]
Frailties and Limitations - Bullying, Karma and Parental Involvement
[23-Jun-14]
We interviewed Rebecca Coleman, author of “The Kingdom of Childhood”, a fictional tale which takes place within the confines of a Waldorf school, and discussed her family’s experience at the Steiner school she sent her son to, bullying, karma, and laying the blame on parents. [more]
Mr Gove's State-Funded Anthroposophy
[27-Apr-12]
As Brits prepare to shell out their meagre resources on Steiner free-schools, why isn't Mr Gove asking the difficult questions? [more]
[14-Nov-11]
In 2009 our three children were expelled from a Steiner School because the school didn't want to address the bullying and assault taking place in a class of 17 boys and 5 girls. [more]
“Out of the indications of Rudolf Steiner”
[12-Mar-11]
Speaking out in a very public and visible way about Steiner education had an unexpected outcome... [more]
[27-Feb-11]
The poster we had produced and placed around various cities across New Zealand to open the debate about this alternative education system: “Is Steiner Education Putting Children At Risk ?” [more]