The globalisation of Steiner education: some considerations

Abstract

Steiner early childhood centres and schools span the globe and are attended by thousands of children in contexts and settings far removed from that of the first school in Southern Germany. This article attempts to assess how the education has spread into new locations and cultures, and the degree to which it has, or has not, adapted to different geographical and social environments. Reporting on a small study undertaken with Māori in New Zealand, all former students who had specialised in Steiner education, I explore some of the issues identified and gauge if they have wider relevance to the school movement. Lastly, I take the concept of audits introduced by Aengus Gordon and suggest how audits of time, of place and of community may serve to gain an informed understanding of how the curriculum, both acknowledged and hidden, manifests in different contexts and settings.