Re: Anthroposophy, a Secret Religion?

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There are about 33 Steiner Schools in the UK (known internationally as Waldorf
Schools) and we know from Freedom of Information requests that there are about
13 applications for new publicly funded schools. Their web sites are very
consistent in describing their progressive, child-centred education with an
emphasis on creativity and nature. But these descriptions are no more than clichés
and do not begin to describe what the Steiner educational philosophy really is.
It is my worry that prospective parents will find these new Free Schools very
alluring; places of sanctuary away from the perceived exam mark hothousing of
mainstream schools and their apparent impersonality and chaos. Steiner Schools
are seen as places of safety, of gentleness and of spirituality. But, inside these
schools are supernatural ideas, goals and techniques that are not disclosed
upfront. So, how should we understand Steiner Schools?

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At the heart of the school is a contradiction between the alluring and gentle
promises of a child-centred education and the superstitious worldview that
underpins its approaches. After one talk I gave on the subject, a young woman
stood up and said, “I am very disappointed in your talk and attitude to Steiner
Schools. I come from an Anthroposophical family. My mother and father were
Anthroposophists and wrote books on the subject. I went to a Steiner School and
had a wonderful time. My sister did die though because she believed in
homeopathy”.
How that contradiction can be untangled I have no idea.
Ethical Record, June 2013