Rudolph Steiner

1
Rudolph Steiner

• His Philosophy and the Waldorf education system.

2
Biography of Rudolph Steiner 1861 1925

• Born in Croatia 1861
• Attended Vienna Technical University 1879
• Received a doctorate in philosophy 1891
• His book the philosophy of freedom was
  published in 1894
• He worked for the German Theosophical society
  1902-1909
• He set up an experimental educational model for
  children in 1919 for Emil Molt, owner of Waldorf
  Tobacco.
• Died in 1925

3
His Philosophy anthroposophy

• The development of the body fuses together to
  become whole.
• will 0 to seven years
• rhythmic system seven to fourteen years
• head from fourteen onwards
• Life after death is seen as another aspect of
  life before birth.
• This all focuses on the processes within the
  child.
• (Bruce, T. 1987).

4
Waldorf Education

• Whole-child based
• Early years up to 7 years
• Formal education begins from 7
• Developing education from 14
• Overall aims

5
Conclusion

• Steiner greatly influenced childhood education
  today
• Steiner believed that childhood was an important
  stage of growth and development
• Steiner stresses that self-directed,
  child-initiated activity is vital for learning

6
Steiners influences today.
7

• Where is that book to be found in which the
  teacher can read what teaching is? The children
  themselves are this book! We should not learn to
  teach out of any other book than the one lying
  before us and consisting of the children
  themselves but in order to read in this book, we
  need the widest possible interest in each
  individual child.
• (Steiner.R 1924)