Over the past few weeks I have been planning a marketing campaign for our school doing online research reading blogs, watching videos and browsing on the Internet about all things Waldorf. This was prompted firstly to try and explain the Waldorf Way to the members of the visiting camera crew, some who have never heard of the Waldorf system, and secondly to maximise the impact of the planned video clips.

The term ‘Why Waldorf’ pops up everywhere, not only because of the cool sounding alliteration, but also because in these articles the schools from all over the world try to make prospective parents understand why they should consider Waldorf education as the schooling of choice for their offspring. I inevitably reminisced about my family’s personal journey which led us to The Waldorf School 10 years ago and I have heard numerous similar stories from parents as they come for school tours to enrol their children here.

The thing is: Rudolf Steiner (an Austrian national) launched this revolutionary and visionary educational system in 1919 when he opened the first Waldorf school in Stuttgart. A European man, in a European context for European children. Why DO we still subscribe to this system after almost a century, still implementing the fundamentals Herr Steiner penned down for teachers to follow in our classrooms here on Rosemary Hill Farm in the east of Pretoria? And how is it relevant in the South African context?

Apart from the obvious (children everywhere in the world have the same basic needs), there are aspects of the Waldorf Way that I realised stand out, are still relevant today and will be for generations to come. So, in no particular order, here are my family’s main reasons Why we Waldorf:

Teaching according to developmental stages (not a government prescribed recipe): Worksheets and homework in Grade R? A reality in many schools in our immediate geographical vicinity and according to various international studies highly overrated and completely unnecessary. What is important is for any teacher standing in front of a class to understand how the children looking up at them with so much expectation and wonder, have a specific developmental stage they are going through. That what the teacher brings to the lessons every day will mirror what the children are trying to work out for themselves, to challenge them in a safe environment and conquer each stage like a champ.

Long-term relationships (building blocks for good emotional health): In Waldorf schools the class teachers stay with their classes for between 6-8 years. Prospective parents inevitably ask how this works if the teacher and learner can’t seem to get along or temperaments clash. I always answer that I don’t always like my own children, but I’ll always love them. As adults, we understand that in any close relationship spanning a longer length of time, there will be some measure of conflict, disappointment or a change in dynamic at times. We experience the same thing at home with our own spouses and children as well, but in the long run the pleasant experiences and strong bonds of understanding and commitment we build far outweigh the moments of tension or discord. This is a precious lesson in human relations in action. Every day.

Temperaments (tempering a temper to become a driving force of change): My husband and I have four girls, raised by the same parents with the same set of rules for all of them and in this one household we have to change our approach according to each child’s unique temperament. Our choleric child (who shall remain unnamed for the purpose of this article) drives us completely bonkers sometimes, but from a very early stage we realised that such an immense amount of passion in such a tiny body, can become a force for change where it matters one day. We need to show her how to harness and channel it correctly. Waldorf teachers study and understand the temperaments in depth and have great appreciation for each child’s strong characteristics, and the personal challenges they face, how to motivate them and how they can attain personal growth. Lessons are prepared so that each temperament will be addressed and the children are drawn to participate in their own way. A prime example of the appreciation a ‘system’ can have for individualism.

Unpressured learning (kindling the fire for a love for learning): Yes, we have very little homework. Yes, we don’t write test series or exams during our primary school years (standardised or otherwise). Yes, our children spend a lot of time away from their desks. Yes, they play a lot (even in Grade 9). Yes, our children then go on to other (mainstream) schools and maintain the same level of achievement they did at The Waldorf School. Each child is measured, and motivated, according to his, or her, own ability and scope of personal growth. Unpressured learning does not mean lower levels of academic achievement or excellence (again: look at the countless international studies proving this…or simply read up on Finland’s education system). Rather, children who have ample time to play and BE CHILDREN, stay emotionally healthy and learn to love to learn.

The return of empathy (loving, good and kind): The respect the teachers illustrate in every aspect of their daily activities towards the children, is mirrored in the children’s behaviour towards their teacher and each other. In this day and age where political and economic strife and uncertainty in the adult world can so easily roll into and affect children at school (think recent controversies like hair rules at a prestigious girls’ school that became a political statement for politicians), our children (in our very integrated school) are being taught tolerance and acceptance for differences in culture, religion, language and even lunch box preferences! They are being shown that it is possible for people from different backgrounds, with conflicting points of view to spend hours together each day and get along if we have respect and empathy for each other.

There are countless more reasons for selecting Waldorf education and your list might include some of mine, or be completely different, but the things that draw families to Waldorf education are precisely what will make this unique education system withstand the test of time and keep it relevant in the South African context. Apart from all the academic and pedagogical blah-de-blah, it is a system that is developed in such a way that each child can still stand out, and be cherished, for the special beings they are. The unique character and gifts each child brings to earth when they are born are appreciated, nurtured, developed and given the freedom to bloom.

Above all, it is a system that has consistently proved to instil a culture of happy, healthy and balanced children, shaping and influencing new generations of contributing, healthy, happy and compassionate members of society.