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Steinermentary
Добавлен 10 фев 2011
Focus On Karmic Bullying in Steiner Waldorf Schools - The Titirangi Settlement
2019 marks the 100-year anniversary of Steiner Waldorf Schools.
This video examines the karmic “unchecked bullying” reported globally in these schools, in the context of Human Rights advocacy.
2019 also marks the 10-year anniversary of our own experience of karmic bullying in a Steiner Waldorf school which led to this advocacy.
In contrast to the many anecdotal instances of this damaging practise, the landmark Titirangi Settlement provides helpful and evidential agency for this pernicious problem.
The video also explores the extraordinary lengths so many influential scientists, skeptics, humanists, and even lawyers and judges have gone to, in order to lie about the landmark settlement.
This video examines the karmic “unchecked bullying” reported globally in these schools, in the context of Human Rights advocacy.
2019 also marks the 10-year anniversary of our own experience of karmic bullying in a Steiner Waldorf school which led to this advocacy.
In contrast to the many anecdotal instances of this damaging practise, the landmark Titirangi Settlement provides helpful and evidential agency for this pernicious problem.
The video also explores the extraordinary lengths so many influential scientists, skeptics, humanists, and even lawyers and judges have gone to, in order to lie about the landmark settlement.
Просмотров: 5 083
Видео
Seven Sharp Interview: parents fought school over bullying
Просмотров 4786 лет назад
Originally broadcast on 7th of March 2013 Parents fought school over bullying “We meet two parents who got a $9,000 settlement after their daughter was bullied.” (This video has been uploaded to youtube because the original version has recently disappeared from TVNZ's website.)
ICSA Bordeaux 2017 - The Radicalisation of Pretend Cult-Busters
Просмотров 4366 лет назад
The 2017 International Cultic Studies Association conference took place in Bordeaux, France in July. This is the unabridged talk given by Angel Garden on "The Radicalisation of Pretend Cult-Busters”, featuring statements from skeptics, humanists and Steiner-Waldorf critics such as: - Melanie Byng (aka @ThetisMercurio) - Diana Winters - Pete Karaiskos (aka @RudolfWaldorf) - Margaret Sachs (aka M...
BBC Newsnight - Full Programme on Steiner Schools, Racism and Bullying
Просмотров 24 тыс.9 лет назад
This is the full programme, including the debate after the report, shown on BBC Newsnight on the 31st of July 2014. Our analysis of what was discussed can be found here: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Newsnight.html From the BBC: "They've been popular for decades among the more liberal and bohemian - or some would say wacky - middle classes. Sandra Bullock and Robin van Persie are both former studen...
Joe Evans of the Bristol Steiner Free School on Pseudoscience, Vaccination and Unchecked Bullying
Просмотров 1,3 тыс.10 лет назад
www.steinermentary.com We interviewed Joe Evans, business manager of the Bristol Steiner Free School, on the 1st of April 2014 with the aim of addressing accountability issues through documentary at the outset of the Steiner free school movement. Joe was happy to go on the record about the Bristol initiative. We're publishing an excerpt in response to some recent contradictions between public a...
David Mollet talks about his experiences at the Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School, New Zealand
Просмотров 1,9 тыс.12 лет назад
David Mollet talks about his experiences at the Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School, New Zealand Comment Policy We welcome comments but please note that they are being monitored. If your comment is on topic, takes account of evidence presented in the video and is polite and non-repetitive, we'll certainly be very happy to engage. If you are rude or insulting, you won't find a platform here. We w...
Going Up in Auckland
Просмотров 48213 лет назад
This video shows the first batch of posters going up in the centre of Auckland www.opensteiner.com Comment Policy We welcome comments but please note that they are being monitored. If your comment is on topic, takes account of evidence presented in the video and is polite and non-repetitive, we'll certainly be very happy to engage. If you are rude or insulting, you won't find a platform here. W...
Mark Thornton, manager of the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School and Federation Executive of NZ
Просмотров 3,5 тыс.13 лет назад
This video shows what happened to Mark Thornton, the Manager of the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School after he expelled a family, whose three children were aged eight, six and two at the time. As of December 2012, the school has signed a public statement and settled with us. You can read it by visiting this website: www.titirangisteinermessenger.com Comment Policy We welcome comments but please n...
Three testimonies from parents of the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School about bullying
Просмотров 3,3 тыс.13 лет назад
This video shows some of the testimony of other parents at the same school regarding the bullying. The interviews are reconstructed using actors. Why are we showing dramatic reconstructions rather than the real people? Well because people are unwilling to identify themselves, and given the above footage of how the school is prepared to treat families who ask for a safe environment for their chi...
Mark Thornton trespasses a family off the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School
Просмотров 2,8 тыс.13 лет назад
This first video shows a family being evicted and trespassed from a Steiner School rather than addressing the bullying. It happened in New Zealand, but we know that the targetting and expulsion of families also happens elsewhere. As of December 2012, the school has signed a public statement and settled with us. You can read it by visiting this website: www.titirangisteinermessenger.com The scho...
Humans evolve throuuugh their good and bad deeds, and the ability to love , NOT through skin colour or race. How IGNORANT.
I find it very disillusioning to think that the Steiner education taught racism.Not very spiritual.
Close all schools against which complaints have been made then make enquiries? I am associated with a Steiner school and have no particular philosophy or dogma but can see the wonderful outcomes in the children. That stuff about Steiner's racism and other drivel is not taught. What's the rate of bullying complaints in non-Steiner schools?
Our child was bullied at a North Carolina Waldorf school. Thank you for your bravery.
We are sorry to hear that. Sadly, no matter how much of the damaging pedagogy is exposed, the damage and - dare I say it - abuse, continues. It seems most just want to believe the fairy tale, no matter the cost.
Steinermentary You obviously have absolutely no clue about Waldorf Pedagogy.Your video is cleverly edited.Manipulation and out of context nonsense.You should be ashamed of yourself.Pathetic individual.
Close the schools
holy shit, she is in full denial mode
Ridiculous.Utter nonsense.
it's all backed up with evidence - what exactly is nonsense in this video?
Steinermentary Everything.
@@thepianocornertpc so evidence is nonsense... right.
@@thepianocornertpc , I've worked in a Waldorf school and can completely back up what Steinermentary is saying. I'm glad you had a great experience, but it is not that way for everyone. If you read and research Anthroposophy, you will find the underpinnings of these beliefs. Many "Waldorf Inspired" schools have kept the better parts of Steiner's educational ideas and distanced themselves from Anthroposophy.
Wow I love how these two morons pounce on. Her he spoke no problem no one interiores him but when it came for her to talk these two wouldn't let her get a whole sentence out. 🙄
Also happening in US Waldorf schools, this is the "curriculum" or actually, it meets the criteria for a cult. Very disturbing that the followers are like sheep and the parents are led to believe Steiner schools are harmless, and they are so far from it. People in the communities are not putting up with their antics any longer, the veil has been pulled back and we can see clearly what is going on and what is going on is not good.
This is happening in the US Waldorf schools also, it certainly seems to be the theme of the lack of supervision and intimidation of anyone, teacher, or otherwise (even community members who witness this) to bully them also. It is a very sick mess of an education with a high price tag and children who are the sad victims of parents who did not do their research before being seduced by the thin veneer that these schools are harmless, they are not.
I lived on a steiner community and I now believe is a cult. I grew up with all my parents’ friends believing in Steiner philosophy and I think it’s indoctrination. When are the child abuse and paedophilia cases going to come out? About time people started to speak out about this. Just because it’s fashionable doesn’t make it good. m.facebook.com/groups/383865678871958?ref=share
Anything, in the wrong hands, can be used for indoctrination, but Steiner's purpose was the opposite of that. His countless lectures are constantly urging people to free themselves of habit, prejudice, "duty" and self-delusion. How can you live in a Steiner community and not know that?
It's not in the wrong hands - the who point of anthroposophy is centred around deceit. Here is but one quote from Rudolf Steiner himself: "We are working toward threefolding, but we have to remember that an institution like the Independent Waldorf School with its objectively anthropo- sophical character, has goals that, of course, coincide with anthro- posophical desires. At the moment, though, if that connection were made official, people could break the Waldorf School’s neck."
The Waldorf Schools are a cult, look at the indicia of a cult and it meets them all. Worse than Scientology the kids are brainwashed and do not even know it, parents are lulled into trusting them and then when it is too late, and the child is damaged, realize they have made a grave mistake in choosing this as the school for their child. In the US the bullying issue is huge, as well as racism, and occult practices that are kept under the table from the local authorities and local city governments. #waldorfschools #waldorfschoolofdupage
She is blind and wrong,antrophosophy is belive sistem that this school.a based on.
Here in Sweden there is one Waldorf school where they allow bullying, My daughter went there for three years. Then she changed to another Waldorf school where bullying is not tolerated and they work against it effectively. There is NO doubt in My mind that SOME Waldorf school have serious issues, depending on who works there. There are some strange elements that teachers either pick up or not.
Steiner himself stressed that the quality of the teacher is everything, and the necessary gifts are not so easily found in modern society.
That is not at all what it says. Race does not equate to lesser evolution. That is absurd, ignorant and gross misrepresentation of the reality of what was taught by Steiner and this is very poor journalism.
There are very troubling teachings about race in Anthroposophy (the philosophy that underpins Steiner Waldorf education). You can read some of the quotes in this article: steinermentary.com/SM/Race.html
biased
I have no doubt that this issue not only happens in schools but public transport, work, out in the town, etc. Affects every individual and of course women can be bullies, just like men but that is besides the point. Gender, ethnicity, etc has nothing to do with bullying.
the waldorf preschool my son attended had an open anti-intervention policy about kids fighting, and discouraged social guidance when children appeared anxious or at a loss. Though they said they also had an anti bullying policy a friend's daughter was bitten several times by another child without intervention at the point she shared that with me.
check waldorfwatch.com before going to a waldorf or steiner school or inspired school. in a waldorf nursery school my son was the bully including pushing and teachers totally waved it off.
check waldorfwatch.com before going to a waldorf or steiner school or inspired school
personally I don't think my kids need to be over exposed to the very "Christian" spiritual angle of "Normal" schools. My daughter goes to a "Non-religious" school, somehow the Christmas play was still very much based on the Nativity ! my daughter can loves stories like Noah's Ark... dont get me wrong, nice story, as a wiccan I dis agree with the heavy christian undertones with it - I do not agree with racism, I think we are all Human, who cares what colour we are, I do not agree with bulling, and would be the first to file for legal proceedings if my daughter was bullied... but the basic philosophy of a more spiritual school sounds like a great idea. how dare the "Main stream" take issue with me (an many others) wishing to have our kids learn a more spiritual way of life. Especially when their kids are singing "Seek ye first the kingdom of god" and learning about the good Samaritan. and probably being dragged to church every Sunday. You have YOUR faith, let others have theirs !
What I find fascinating when watching different debates on waldorf schools that ask about the Rudolf Steiner background in regard to racism and the antrophosophical views in today's schools is that no kids/parents of colour who choose/chose this type of school are questioned about this. If there was a problem about racism wouldn't they know best?! Also, while I find it important to point out that Steiner's views on race are deplorable (though they were probably pretty normal in his time, not excusing them, just putting them in context) and he was not perfect, no paragon of virtue, no prophet or god... sorry, digressing. Anyway, he had many faults, that doesn't mean that everything he said was wrong and should not be applied today. Besides the Waldorf curriculum today is a completly different one as compared to in its beginnings or in Steiner's lifetime. Just because they still carry his name does not mean that these schools are an embodiment of his anthroposophical theories. They are schools, not churches. For Christ's sake!
Racism and Bullying ,wondering how stare schools fair regarding this!! Wondering if the history of state schools has LESSONS to be learned on this subject!!! MAYBE diversity training, and language usage will help solve the problem!!! Thinking steiner schools have more of a HOLD of education than its counter parts. Focusing on the person is at the core of Steiner education. BBC News night needs to do Full Programme on the subject in state run schools I think !!! WILL the over managed BBC do it in a unbiased way!!!! Makeup your own mind. History is a good point of reference I think.
Oh...I forgot to add in my previous post. Steiner education is about 'spiriyual' matters. 'Spirituality' comes in two forms, broadly speaking...good and bad. Steiner was a dark agent...and so it goes on.
Steiner was a very, very dark agent...so what does that tell you. It has all been carefully hidden from people though. The Brit state appears to be funding steiner 'schools' now...again...what does that tell you? The government CLEARLY do NOT have the well being of their people uppermost in their minds. Steiner schools are a part of a dark agenda.
That's great!
Steiner did not teach that wee reincarnate in every race and that some are superior .He said that we are all evolving from life to life and growing OUT of belonging to any race but becoming UNIVERSALLY HUMAN The Nazis agreed so little with Steiner that they tried to kill him and shut all hte german schools.There are many such schools world wide
In Australia you don't see aboriginal children or it's very very rare. I don't believe its good to bring children up in a bubble or a cult.. Better to be exposed to all people rich and poor.
Btw,your favourite Prince Charles is big on Steiner and Biodynamic farming,did you know that?And the Queen for example uses Anthroposophical Hauschka cosmetics and medicine...
The Steiner movement will die a death, ironically, due to his own words. The cognitive dissonance of his followers means that they justify his abhorrent references to race, of which there are a few, with a tepid argument that these were merely running with the trends of the time. In truth, they are furiously racist statements, and there is no getting away from their content! The people of his time who were fervently opposed to his type of superiority complex were not of the dominant ideology, and that's as far as it goes. The substance of his words still stand. Every Steiner institution (of which I've visited at least 11 in the UK and have known hundreds world wide who have attended them) has a picture of him somewhere in its midst, yet many may claim that they do not adhere to all his philosophies. Do they really expect us to believe that they are ALL merely cherry picking his ideas? I saw no disclaimer anywhere in all my experience; I had to find out about his racism by self study as a co-worker at one of the camphill communities. Now, had I been an African co-worker (of which there are many), or had I Native American descent, I would have been heart broken to think that, possibly, the white leadership at my community may have been harbouring these insidious racist views, that deep down they felt sorry for me trying to progress my own karma in the hope of one day becoming like them. The same reaction may well have occurred; I was appalled and disheartened and quietly left, afraid to speak out while already embedded into the community, afraid I may be reproached or worked on to be convinced otherwise, despite what I had learned for myself and therefore already knew to be true. Steiner was a racist, and any struggle I found there would be viewed, with cold detachment, as my own karma to face. The flipside of this would have been that they were completely ignorant of it themselves, which may have felt even worse, because as a co-worker, you are likely thousands of miles from home and technically in the care of their leadership! The last thing you want then is advice from someone so blind to themselves. They may well have denied that their approach to anthroposophy contained any of what I read in The Occult Meaning of Blood, for instance, and yet I was still able to access it within their own library. My skin crawls when I remember how I felt reading that pamphlet! I was terrified, I felt like I had uncovered a very dark secret. In other work, Steiner credits Blavasky for the foundation of his spiritual cosmology, another proponent of racial hierarchy through karmic evolution. Its time this stuff was brought to light with honesty and integrity, rather than dancing around it because of what I conclude as an unconscious racism harboured by his following. This is the psychic shadow of the Steiner cult being seen for what it is in plain sight, due to the actual evolution of consciousness through the age of Humanistic ideas that oppose anti-intellectualism.
sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/steiners-racism
This program smacks of all the elements of yellow dog journalism. It seems the BBC was hard up for content and the useless is therefore permissible. I have researched Waldorf education and read about 40 books of Steiner's works call Spiritual Science or Anthroposophy, meaning wisdom of humans. I attended a study group on the matter of one of Steiner's eight book on reincarnation and have found nothing but logically organized wisdom based on Steiner's research. I must say that after studying only one book of Steiner's on reincarnation, I realized that no one nor anything I had ever read on the subject in any way took me so deep and to such clarity as his writings. Most individuals are completely confused and that could be the basis of some of the blather the BBC is spouting regarding children and reincarnation. According to Steiner, humans do not begin living their reincarnation until about 12 years old and the process ends in about 70 years. In my life I studied for a masters in engineering, and must say Steiner's work requires much more in the way of intellectual capacity than any of my engineering courses. The rigorousness of his material leaves one with a sense of the profound. If sound bytes define the way you process life Steiner is not your cup of tea and if you peruse Steiner and make judgements you are probably going to be wrong. Do the work and get the knowledge. BBC, you really, really need to start acting as professionals and not yellow dog journalists.
There's a lot missing from the Newsnight programme and we wrote about this here: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Newsnight.html Rudolf Steiner did write a lot about many things, but it's not only his questionable beliefs that are a problem, but the way his followers have interpreted what he said. This has led to a lot of abuse in many Steiner-Waldorf schools worldwide, which we have recorded on our site. These issues are similar from school to school and everything can be traced back to the pedagogy, from issues with reincarnation, unchecked bullying, racism, fear of technology, odd mysticism, etc: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Welcome.html
Mr quarrel rid the fire of negative personal emotions to burn the ideal goals. He will run away as first as he could if someone ask his responsibility.
Note certain who this "Mr quarrel" is.
This show remind me how media attack EU. So many people don't bother to think anymore. They attack Steiner education because they do not want to see people become free from manipulations. All innovative thinkers demands to change our ways of thinking to understand them. I do not want to be a mob to kill the innocent one.
Although we agree that people don't bother to think anymore and cannot speak for the makers of this programme, there are aspects of Steiner education which are deeply concerning and which aren't openly discussed. A good introduction to this would be this article: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Collateral.html If you want to read our comments on this Newsnight article, you can find it here: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Newsnight.html
Our way of thinking is dominated by social norms and autocratic education. Who is trying to get free from them, and contribute their effort positively to their community? Anthroposophy should not believing system or religion, but it is the training of autonomy. How you think is more significant than what.
Yes, that is how Steiner Waldorf schools like to promote themselves, but the reality is very much removed from that. Here's but a sample: For instance, they encourage not using technology in early years. The real reason why is covered here (hint, it's due to demons): www.steinermentary.com/SM/Technology.html Steiner Waldorf communities have a very high percentage of unvaccinated children, but it's not due to a fear of vaccines (hints: it's because it'll affect the children's future reincarnation): www.steinermentary.com/SM/Vaccination.html These communities appear lovely and caring but how they treat families who ask to many questions is beyond shocking: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Luciferocity-Lies.html And as for their claim that they aren't bound by religious beliefs, just ask the angels of the seventh realm what they think of that: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Archangel.html
You don't understand my point at all.
I believe I do, and in some way agree. However were we depart is you think Anthroposophy is the answer, and our research tells us it cannot be.
We inadvertently followed a commenter's RUclips channel earlier today (the errors of tapping on the wrong part of the screen). We unfollowed again within 5 seconds. That commenter didn't bother to check whether we are actually subscribing to their RUclips channel though, and is now trying to post inflammatory comments about that nonexistent "subscription", saying it's an attempt to _"intimidate"_ them, and _"to shut down the questioning and discussion of your post"._ This comes under the heading of trolling. While you are free to post polite, factual comments discussing the subject raised in these videos, anything else will remain in moderation.
Steiner 'schools' are a load of bollocks; I know, from personal experience.
hello. where was your experience, if you don't mind us asking?
York
We have other families who have shared their experience with us, such as: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Switzerland-ERSL.html www.steinermentary.com/SM/NZ-MPSS.html www.steinermentary.com/SM/USA-RebeccaColeman.html If you would like to share your own story, please let us know.
Steiner was always banging on about the inclusion of all races and all things and yet his schools are exclusively for the well heeled middle class and foster an elitist attitude in the young people thy churn out. Whatever Steiner's intention might have been, what he instituted was an unctuous form of spiritual facism. To call his followers a bunch of self congratulatory, ego inflated, narcissistic onanists would of course be going too far and I would never think of such a thing...
They do try and offer reduced fees for those who cannot afford to pay, which creates another dynamic where parents feel indebted to the school...
"8 out of 25 Steiner Schools had serious cases of bullying by staff"
evidence?
If you wish to find evidence of bullying in Steiner/Waldorf schools, please visit our main website: www.steinermentary.com
paid shills against the schools...included in the attempt to eliminate all true spirituality from society...that is why the BBC have the humanist as their prosecuting opinion...
We can't speak for the BBC or the so-called humanist who took part in that debate, but we are most definitely not "paid shills". We are a family who experienced horrendous abusive unchecked bullying and tried to do something positive about it. If, as our research shows, this spirituality allows the abuse of children in this way, then what kind of spirituality is it?
Why call it a Steiner School if the school is not following Steiner's philosophy? BBC Q at 3:20 "How much Rudolf is there in the Steiner (Waldorf) School?" According to the lady responding: none. Then why is it called a Steiner School? Very peculiar.
these schools have to follow the principles laid out by Rudolf Steiner otherwise they cannot call themselves Steiner/Waldorf.
Ridículo, pensarem desta forma, que mostram um profundo desconhecimento da Pedagogia Waldorf e de Antroposofia. Eu sou professora waldorf e na nossa escola regemos-nos pela formação de SERES livres... onde a raça, credo, religião ou filosofia de vida só os faz seres únicos.... Não faz sentido nehum!
*Google Translation:* "Ridiculous, think in this way, that show a deep ignorance of the Waldorf Pedagogy and Anthroposophy. I am a waldorf teacher and in our school we are governed by the formation of free BEINGS ... where the race, creed, religion or philosophy of life only makes them unique beings .... It does not make any sense!"
There is a lot in Anthroposophy which guides the teachers and influences their teaching and how they interact with the children. We have done a lot of research on the subject after our family's personal experience on the matter. You can browse through our research here: www.steinermentary.com
Nobody believes that bullies should be allowed to go unchecked in a Steiner Waldorf school. Some of Steiner's better ideas allow one to ask the question about whether the experience of being bullied might in some senses make one stronger. I was bullied when my family moved around when I was young and it definitely made me stronger. My point is that I would be willing to bet any teacher that made comments about how bullying allows students to work out impulses that are part of their destiny (or karma) were making such comments to help students heal and not to excuse, perpetuate, apologize for, or cover up bullying. Its a bit silly that the man is calling the woman here a liar, if he didn't provide his sources for her to examine BEFORE the interview. Not doing that just turns the whole interview into a farcical setup. The interviewer asks the woman whether she is "bothered" by accusations that he has not made an attempt to demonstrate. Thus she is being asked a "yes" or "no" question that clearly requires a longer answer. Typical dirty media trick. Steiner's basic idea for education is quite simple; human beings need an education that trains head, heart, and hands. Students need to learn crafts and handwork, gardening and art that trains their body, they need stories and images that bolster their emotions and get them excited about the possibilities of learning, they need academics that hone their minds. Without all three students, burn out on memorizing information and data and you are more likely to create cold, cynical workers who are not interested in lifelong learning. Thus Steiner opposed the idea that the teacher is just passing information into the heads of students. Human beings are more than a head. Instead Steiner had some very good ideas about how to create lifelong learners who are still curious and inquisitive about learning after leaving school. I would add I don't agree with everything he said and unfortunately I think the danger of Waldorf schools is that some people wish to think he was right about everything, which is always a problem. He actually encouraged people to question him though. Some of his ideas should be discarded. But anyone who has worked in schools, as I have, know most students hate their school and someone who had an idea that has worked to get students to love school without sacrificing rigour should not be easily dismissed.
Dear Jay We agree with part of what you say: many children hate school, and Steiner Waldorf schools who claim to “teach the whole child” are a strong draw for families who do not wish their kids to be burnt out by the perceived knowledge cramming and training exercise that “regular” schools appear to be turning into. No wonder it’s the fastest growing alternative education in the world. We also agree that "the man" (Andrew Copson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association) didn’t give "the woman" (Frances Russell) any actual evidence regarding unchecked bullying in Steiner, just anecdotes. This is a problem that we have raised about the BHA’s position on this matter for some time: www.steinermentary.com/SM/BHA.html. We have also analysed the Newsnight programme and you can read about it here:www.steinermentary.com/SM/Newsnight.html However, we have to strongly disagree with the following: _“Nobody believes that bullies should be allowed to go unchecked in a Steiner Waldorf school.”_ and _“I would be willing to bet any teacher that made comments about how bullying allows students to work out impulses that are part of their destiny (or karma) were making such comments to help students heal and not to excuse, perpetuate, apologize for, or cover up bullying.”_ We know from personal experience that a school, one which also happens to be the headquarters of the Steiner Waldorf Federation for that country, does allow bullying to go unchecked, and will prefer to excuse it, perpetuate it, apologise for it, and cover it up, rather than tackle the problem, to the point that they would rather expel a bullied child than deal with atrocious accounts of bullying. Our experience isn’t anecdotal but factual, since the school admitted it through a Human Rights mediation. You can read about it here: www.titirangisteinermessenger.com/ Not only did this happen to us, but it’s been happening to families attending that school for decades: www.titirangisteinermessenger.com/TSM/Testimonials.html This led us to look more closely at the notion of unchecked bullying and we found that this is a problem with Steiner Waldorf schools worldwide, as these reports illustrate: 1. www.steinermentary.com/SM/UK-AWS.html 2. www.steinermentary.com/SM/Switzerland-RSSA.html 3. www.steinermentary.com/SM/UK-NISS-Threatened.html 4. www.steinermentary.com/SM/UK-SC.html Looking at what Steiner and his followers said about the subject forms part of these articles: 1. www.steinermentary.com/SM/USA-RebeccaColeman.html 2. www.steinermentary.com/SM/DutyOfCare.html The reason behind this casual attitude to bullying, aside from the notions of karma, appears to stem from their strong belief in angels, and their plan for the future of mankind:www.steinermentary.com/SM/Archangel.html. Further, the way these schools treat families who speak out about their experience is deeply concerning: 1. www.steinermentary.com/SM/Luciferocity-Lies.html 2. www.steinermentary.com/SM/Luciferocity-Witch-Hunts.html The idea of “teaching the whole child” is indeed attractive, but it shouldn’t be at the casual expense of some children and families. Once one starts accepting that some children will get badly damaged in these schools because others will be having a great time, one starts accepting collateral damage and colluding with a pedagogy’s belief system which has many troubling facets: www.steinermentary.com/SM/Collateral.html This can, and does, lead to child abuse: 1.www.steinermentary.com/SM/USA-GreenMeadow.html 2. www.steinermentary.com/SM/Canada-TWA.html As you so rightly said yourself, _”unfortunately I think the danger of Waldorf schools is that some people wish to think he was right about everything, which is always a problem.”_ Those who control these schools do exactly that.
I go to a steiner school. Dont let this form your whole judgement on this video.
you're right, there's a heck of a lot more to explore and analyse, and you can read about a lot of it on our main website, www.steinermentary.com. However, going back to this particular video, you have to ask yourself, if Steiner education truly is a "kinder, gentler alternative", and this school is also the headquarters of the Steiner Federation of New Zealand, and the staff also work for the HQ and speak for Steiner education for the whole country, why would they expel a child who was experiencing horrendous bullying, and her sisters who were having a great time, instead of dealing with the bullying and the bullies, and make sure this never happens again? Because, as you may well expect, expelling the target didn't stop the bullying. Instead it emboldened the bullies and the child who took our kid's place experienced even worse bullying as a result, which you can read about here: titirangisteinermessenger.com/TSM/2010-2.html
And one last thing. How come, when a bad story of a Steiner school or a bad memory of being at a Steiner School is shared, it is judged for it's entirety? There are so many experiences we all share in our lives, negative and positive, and usually, in a more nuanced and educated society, we can understand that these negative or positive experiences have been influenced by a single person, organisation or community. How come, when a negative experience of one thing, can make you cast assumptions on another thing. If a child has a bad experience at a State school do we immediately believe that all state schools are bad? Every school has its own identity with the individuals concerned making it a school. We are talking about head masters, teachers, children, parents,grandparents and the wider community. If one's experiences are negative in a particular setting, they will hopefully be different in another setting. This is the same for Steiner Schools. They are all different. As different as any state school in the Uk who have to abide by the national Curriculum and interpret it in their own personal way. Every Steiner School interprets their curriculum in a slightly different way.
It is incredibly disappointing to see a report, appointed by the BBC, filled with such sarcasm and prejudice from the start. It is a sensational story that has been taken out of context. It's an easy topic to grab hold of, dig your teeth into and spit out! The subject on racism within Steiner Waldorf schools continues to be a contentious issue. So my suggestion is to initiate a survey by the BBC, ITV or Channel 4, or for that matter any Steiner critic, to conduct an investigative examination on the Steiner Waldorf pupil's view within the Uk and the world. The questions asked should be along the lines of' ' what is your understanding of the word 'racism'; what do you think and feel when you see a 'black' person, what do you think and feel when you see a 'white' person, what do you think or feel when you see a hindu person or a muslim person or anyone who looks different from you with another ethnic heritage? I can assure you that every well respected broadcasting company will think twice before they decide to broadcast this type of ill-informed, judgemental and satirical nonsense .
I went to a Steiner school up until the age of 10. Anyone who's been to a Steiner school would watch this rubbish and see how ridiculous it is. The teachers act almost like a parent to students, they are fantastic, and you develop a much closer relationship with them then you do in state schools. What I think often gets overlooked is Steiner students love going to school. I remember my first year in a state school, and i can say, there isn't nearly as much support for students, there was significantly more bullying and racism, and it felt like an alien environment. I disliked going to school after my first few weeks there (and this was the best state school in my area). This idea people seem to get that Steiner somehow encourages kids to be racist couldn't be further from the truth, its the complete opposite of what any Steiner student would tell you. Steiner encourages children to learn at their own pace and be respectful of those around you. My regret is i made the personal decisions i did and had to withdraw from Steiner at the end of class 2. I lost all enthusiasm for education, and remember disliking almost every class in secondary school, even though i came out with only A's and A*'s.
I am a teacher at the Rudolf Steiner School in Christchurch. I have had no training in Steiner Education, formally or informally prior to teaching here, and I am in my second year of teaching. I can understand why some people are skeptical, however, I can assure you that at this school, the focus is on the well-being of our students, first and foremost. When any issues of bullying come up, we deal with it using PB4L and Non-Violent Communication. Yes, the teachers try to get the students to talk and manage any issues and we facilitate this process with them. In the Upper School (secondary) the processes are the same as any other state school using class withdrawals and formal detentions. Here at the CRSS, music and art is highly valued but Anthroposophy NEVER makes its way into the curriculum. There is a great mix of Steiner Educated teachers and those of us who are not. The Philosophy and the Pedagogy is actually child centred, experiential, and helps many students flourish. ALL schools have bullying, its how they deal with it that makes all the difference. Not all schools can cater for everyone. Some students will do better at an all boys or all girls school, some students at a disciplined private school. Things change and schools can improve and get better or decline and get worse. I can honestly say that this school is trying to constantly improve, as are its teachers and this is currently reflected in its students.
I went to Catholic schools and the nuns and priests would bully students often. Kids would fight with each other in school too....how shocking! Is the BBC going to have a show about parochial schools next?
shocking indeed. The issue with Steiner education is that it is often portrayed in the media as this better alternative to mainstream education, where children learn at their own pace and in harmony with nature. Yet they hardly ever mention the pedagogical belief that karma governs our lives and that if a child is bullied now, they may well have been bullies in a former life and this is karma rectifying a past wrong, so teachers should not interfere.
I think it 's a mixed bag of thought, as would be anywhere in any school system. I can remember a nun in the fourth grade telling me to "work it out myself " as I asked for her assistance in dealing with being bullied by an older kid. My neighbor sends her two kids to a Waldorf School in Bethesda, MD. As far as I can see, they are polite,well adjusted and intelligent kids. They seem to really enjoy going to school and learning, according to their parents. That's a real change these days. You paint a picture of these schools with broad brushes which makes me suspicious of your motives.
You provide one positive example, which could be interpreted as painting "a picture of these schools with broad brushes". The point isn't that some kids do well, it's that there is an acceptance of collateral damage to children and families who try to address it, and which is so widely reported, that it needs to be seen as the context for such positive reports. We have numerous yet similar examples of suspicious and concerning occurrences that take place in these schools the world over. If they paint a picture of anything, it's that there's something else going on there which people aren't discussing or researching properly. We have a lot of information on our site - which also contains positive reports (we try to be balanced) - and go much deeper than this Newsnight review: www.steinermentary.com
It is true that my example is anecdotal, but it is indeed relevant to me, since we all have the ability to see real life examples and make judgements of our own based on observation. I'll look at your website to see what is there. I want all of the information I can get. My husband and I are adopting twins and have been looking at area schools for their education. We've been asking parents about the schools their kids attend and Waldorf schools have gotten glowing reviews from several families whose children attend. I'm sure there are cases of individuals who have not had positive experiences in this school system, but that doesn't mean there is not an overall positive impact of the lives of young people.
I have four kids in Steiner schools and they love it.. Your ad hominem says a lot about your character. Really not needed.
I was willing to hear your side but your channel just isn't that informative. Using a 'hachet job' BBC article to explain your issue (whatever it is) in New Zealand just isn't much of a point...
+FlowerPowerNZ Hello and thanks for commenting. Our video channel isn't meant to be seen on its own, but is designed to accompany our main website: www.steinermentary.com. From there you'll see our issue isn't solely with New Zealand, but explores the Steiner Waldorf pedagogy with detailed evidential essays, and reports from numerous countries, including Canada, USA, UK, France, Switzerland, and New Zealand. The Steiner Waldorf education is a worldwide movement, and our work reflects that.
+FlowerPowerNZ So much aggression. You're obviously highly biased, and how lovely to see you be so glad they expelled our children because of our concern for their safety. The Steinermentary Project is evidential. All the quotes from Rudolf Steiner are actually his. Quotes from other members of the anthroposophical movement are theirs too. Nothing is made up. If we knew what we know now a few years ago, you're right, we would never have sent our children to one of these schools. But we believed the lovingly packaged hype. Like so many others did, and still do. Attacking the messenger (and their children), is common practise. Doing some actual research prior to gleefully attacking, well, that's quite a rare quality. Good day.
+Steinermentary Ah yes, me and everyone else is wrong... I have no idea who you are but I have given you the time of day by watching a couple of your videos, had a quick look at your website and have absolutely no question who I believe and that's without even hearing the other side. Your cause is pretty poor to be honest...
+Steinermentary unchecked bullying is steiner is a "thing". Their belief that children deal with conflict based on their karma and teachers shouldn't interfere, is actually part of the pedagogy and explains what happened to our eldest at the Titirangi Steiner School. It's what got us researching the situation more, and then we found everything else. You appear to know of our story, yet you also appear to be totally unaware of the settlement the school signed with us through the Human Rights Commission, in which they admit that our child's reports of bullying were honest but they didn't do anything about them, even cancelling a meeting with us to discuss how to deal with bullying, preferring to suddenly expel our children instead without notice the very day such meeting was supposed to take place. Classy.
+FlowerPowerNZ Did I say you were wrong? The appeal of Steiner is very strong, especially for parents who have an alternative viewpoint and want something different for their children. Sadly, because of everything that powers the pedagogy, Steiner isn't the solution. You came in already biased, calling the BBC's report a "hatchet job" (I agree that there's a lot missing in that report). Watching 2 videos (which wad the other?) and spending 10 minutes on our site is not nearly enough time to read enough to form a balanced opinion. But it's always easy to burry your head in the sand and attack those presenting information. Which school do you, or your children, attend?
If you are within your rights, then you shall not be trespassed off the property for exercising your rights.
+SandCrabNews Not at all: you can be trespassed just because the person who trespasses you feels like it. Like in this case: instead of explaining why he was expelling three children, including one who was the target of horrendous bullying, the just issued the parents trespass notices. Better than explaining awkward questions I guess.
So how is everything going now? Can anyone tell me? We just come from China. My daughter studied in Rudolf Steiner School in China. I'd like to let her study in Rudolf Steiner school in NZ too. Thanks for any kind of reply.