Waldorf Education
Who was Rudolf Steiner
An Austrian Scientist and Philosopher, Steiner founded the first Waldorf School in response to a question brought to him by benefactor Emil Molt “Is there a way to educate children that will help them develop into human beings who will be capable of bringing peace to the world”. Founding of Anthroposophy in 1902, he was invited to the Theosophical Society to become the General Secretary of the German section. Today there are more than 3000 (Kindergarten & High Schools) Waldorf Schools worldwide.
Rudolf Steiner & the History of Waldorf Education
Waldorf education has its roots in the spiritual-scientific research of the Austrian scientist and thinker Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). According to Steiner's philosophy, the human being is a threefold being of spirit, soul, and body whose capacities unfold in three developmental stages on the path to adulthood: early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence.
In April of 1919, Rudolf Steiner visited the Waldorf Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart, Germany. The German nation, defeated in war, was teetering on the brink of economic, social, and political chaos. Steiner spoke to the workers about the need for social renewal, for a new way of organizing society and its political and cultural life.
Emil Molt, the owner of the factory, asked Steiner if he would undertake to establish and lead a school for the children of the employees of the company. Steiner agreed, and in September 1919, the Independent Waldorf School opened its doors.
Waldorf Education
Waldorf education offers a well-researched and developmentally appropriate, balanced approach to education. It weaves academics with the arts, giving richness to both, and inspires students to embrace learning. The Waldorf curriculum moves from imagination and movement in early childhood through increasingly academic and artistically created lessons in the lower grades.
At Gatha Waldorf School, we believe that education should be a journey of discovery, creativity, and growth. Waldorf Education creates a deeply meaningful learning process in which experience, not just acquisition, underscores knowledge, thereby encouraging students to be active thinkers. It consists of learning that engages the HEART, HEAD & HANDS. Better still, it focuses on feeling, thinking, and doing. It is the basis on which Waldorf teachers involve and nurture children through the methodology and curriculum that integrates arts, academics, and practical skills