Above all, the anthroposophical approach of the Waldorf schools is criticized, which, by the way, are financed by the state with more than half a billion euros per year. Nele Auschra, herself on the board of the Bund der Freie Waldorfschulen, says in the 414th episode of the podcast “important today” that one is also developing further and critically questioning the theories: “Rudolf Steiner is the founder, who is both the philosophical direction of the who founded anthroposophy and also helped to shape the first Waldorf school, with his suggestions that are still being studied to this day, but not in the sense of a teaching, but rather as a way of dealing with it, because today it is certainly no longer possible to go straight to the individual via a head shape of the child, that’s not possible. That means that we deal with it and that also happens in the training and further education centers for Waldorf teachers.”
Under the video for research by “Krautreporter” and the “ZDF Magazin Royale” there are now more than 4000 comments, with very different opinions, some harsh criticism, but also reports from the everyday life of a Waldorf school. This type of school polarizes, critics and supporters alike.
Sure, opinionated, on the 12: “today important” is not just a news podcast. We set topics and initiate debates – with attitude and sometimes uncomfortable. Host Michel Abdollahi and his team of stern and RTL reporters speak to the most exciting people from politics, society and entertainment. They let all voices have their say, both the quiet and the loud. Anyone who hears “important today” starts the day well informed and can have a well-founded say.
In an interview with “Today Important” host Michel Abdollahi, Nele Auschra also addresses the accusation of the black box, i.e. the Waldorf schools do what they want: “There is a framework curriculum that is continuously revised and published, you can look at it buy it as a PDF. Incidentally, this is also a prerequisite for a school to be approved as a Waldorf school in most federal states. Then the schools open up for information events, etc. We provide information on our websites.”
While students at a regular school go to secondary schools after the fourth or sixth grade and are thus separated, the system at the Waldorf school is different. “I believe that the Waldorf schools take a little more time to lead the students to their own development, that they are e.g. 12 years at a school together, cannot remain seated, so have the opportunity to develop qualities that are important for the qualifications are necessary only develop in the seventh or eighth grade,” says Nele Auschra.
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