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National and international experiences with
1. acceptancer and acknowledgement
2. educational profile and quality
3. costs, evaluation and control
of Waldorf schools by their parents
1. Wherever in Europe Waldorf schools are accepted, acknowledgedged and
financed by society and state authorities they seem not to harm the
schoolsystem, but
rather enrich it, by making educational diversity real, providing parental
choice,
promoting education responsibility and offering fields of necessary educational
alternative experience (quite a lot of alternatives were tested by Waldorf
schools).
First of all Waldorf schools are looked for, accepted and acknowledged by educationally
well informed and caring parents.
The existence and treatment of Waldorf schools are indicators of the state of educational
diversity and democracy of a nation.
2. Waldorf education seems to be quite an appropriate answer to
developments in modern life, buisness and industry, politics and social life. It offers an
education of high personal, methodical and institutional quality, an healthy
upbring, an
intensive forming of basic skills and personal abilities, the development of a creative
personality and a stress free school life.
State authorities, educational experts and progressive schools are now trying to introduce
central elements ( i.e. practical learning, autonomy of schools, more individualized
teaching). Since all other efforts failed to lift the quality of schools, they discuss now
and offer self-responsibility and involvement of teachers and parents in running their
schools as the last incentives left.
3. The comparing low costs of a Waldorf school (65%) shows how effective
small and independent school organizations might work, although this is no argument for
saving money in subsidiary matters. Waldorf schools are continously evaluated by choice of
parents, final exams, state supervision, acceptance by institutions
following, the labour
market and the judgement of former students. They all - as far as we know - are in favor
for Waldorf education as a necessary part of a national educational system.
Written by Prof. dr. Harm Paschen
on behalf of the European Federation of Rudolf Steiner Waldorf school parents
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