Steiner schools - your experiences/ thoughts?

[Pip82]

Hi I'm just wondering if anyone has had experience with sending their children to Steiner schools? I am considering one for my daughter, we go to a Steiner playgroup at the moment (kind of just fell into it without knowing much about it) and having read a bit about it the philosophy sits well with me. I don't know too many people whose kids actually go to one though so would love to hear about it. Thanks

[JellyBean]

Hi Pip - you may wish to try the natural parenting website - quite a number of the parents on there have their children enrolled in Steiner schools and there are a number of detailed threads relating to their experiences. I am personally a fan of the philosophy too but we haven't started it for DS yet. The cost is a bit of a deterrent for us however we are willing to make the sacrifices required to at least give it a go.
Hope you get the answers you are looking for!

[jax]

Hi Pip, my two boys went to steiner. DS1 went till year 7 and DS2 till grade 3 when we moved and were unable to send him any more. What would you like to know? Both my boys still talk fondly of their time there and they made some fantastic friends that they still keep in touch with. Both boys have very different learning styles and both did very well and enjoyed school. Feel free to ask any questions.

[onthefly]

Hi Pip,
We just toured silver tree today and have pretty much decided to enroll DS there. Just doing a bit of number crunching.
Might join the playgroup this year too.

[Pip82]

Thanks guys. Jax - I guess probably the main thing is that they are still educated in a way that they are not disadvantaged for high school - my gut says that of course they will be fine but it's a niggling thought. how did your ds2 go after going back to a mainstream school? And your ds1 with high school? Also I'm a bit worried about having to be a certain 'type' of parent. I guess I mean that I really don't conform to any particular group - I think i am a bit of everything.
MadB - we loved the playgroup at ST but won't be returning due to distance, I thought we were closer (have just moved to the area). The Steiner school we are looking at is WCSS as we will be moving closer to there in the next few years. We are massive nomads at the moment it would be great to settle down somewhere!

[Gigi]

My child is enrolled in a Steiner stream, at a primary school for next year, but i'm "on the fence" about Steiner schools. The religious aspect of it is an unknown, and i'm not religious. Next year will be the "test" for us. I have no idea how it will go.

[onthefly]

It seems more spiritual rather than religious to me gigi Seems more like fostering an appreciation for life - self, community and natural world - rather than an indoctrination in a religion. That said, it is very european in focus and culturally christian. I'm ok with that, as we are culturally christian anyway (more or less).
DH and I like the way they teach - it makes sense to me.

[jax]

Pip, As far as being disadvantaged for high school, no I don't think so. DS1 went to to a mainstream high school half way through his year 7 as we moved and he did not find it difficult to change at all. He did during his schooling develop a love of art/music and the environment and his current school supports that which is fantastic. He would always have been arty in my opinion no matter where he was schooled, steiner just helped support that. DS2 moved to mainstream midway through class 3 and that was not so easy. I would not do that again if I had the choice. It was not that he was that behind in work so much, but really struggled with the change of teaching approach. He has struggled a bit with the more traditional teaching of you have to sit down and write about it. He wants to get out and experience it rather then write about it (his words not mine!). Now in grade 5 he has settled and still misses it, but copes with the new school. Delay in reading is what most parents worry about, and please let me reassure you they do end up reading and developing a love it. It is just a little later then other children.

As for being a 'type' of parent, yesssssss some of the mums are extreme but you will end up finding mums like you too. I don't conform and take everything with a grain of salt. I found just getting involved in things was the best way in the end.

Gigi. Religion was an issue at the school my kids went to, personally I didn't have a problem as a lot of cultures and religions were talked about and studied. God is mentioned in blessings and some songs, to be honest I think the kids missed the bit about god and picked up more on thanking Mum for their food Having said that if you are against any form of religious education then steiner is not right for you.

I guess what I am saying is I was able to leave some stuff that I found whishy washy at the school and take the beautiful caring parts home. Sorry I have now babbled on!!!

[onthefly]

That's really helpful, thanks Jax!
The info from the school does say that switching earlyier on in primary school can be hard

[Gigi]

Jax, your post was really helpful to me.

I have already come into contact with some "steiner mums" in a playgroup situation, and it's not been an easy fit (they are much more affluent than i am, i cannot join in on the conversations about holidays, renovations, mortgages, the things that happen in safe neighbourhoods). I'm hoping that's only a small representation, and that it will be better next year (in a school situation). Mostly i wonder if i find any other non-affluent steiner parents. Will bilby stick out because we have the only old bomb, in a car park full of flashy late model 4wds? Cars are a way of getting from a to b for me, but it's what it represents - having the money to finance a better lifestyle than i can give her - that i will have to say "no" to more of the demands that come home in notes from school. I worry bilby will be the only kid in public housing, that can't have playdates at her place, due to the area we live in. Her as a person, i think she will fit in fine. I'm worried, by association, i will drag her down.

i have heard the steiner stream likes parents to get involved, to hear reading, to help kids learn to knit, gardening bees, etc and i am interested in getting involved in those sort of things.

If i have to change her schools, i think it will be early on. The first term of being there next year, will show me if i can manage the petrol to get her there and back each day. 10km each way, four drives per day, 40km per day, x 5 days a week - 200km per week. i currently budget $30 of petrol per week, i limit my driving alot.

[Pip82]

Thanks Jax - very helpful info!

[onthefly]

Oh Gigi, I'm really sorry you feel that way I would really, really hope that the sorts of people who would pursue this sort of education would look above and beyond that sort of thing. Our situation is not nearly as marginal as yours, but I think I'd feel the same sort of inadequacy I suppose though, given teh cost, most families would be better off I am very uncomfortable with ostenatious displays of wealth and outright snobbery. Some people are well off and 'normal' (if that makes any sense iwthout being offensive?), but some people... even if they're not really intending to be mean, they just have no idea

We also like the idea of being involved, yes, and plan to attend some weekend busy bees at the school soonish to get a better feel for the place.
I'm still thinking on the religion thing... maybe I'll talk to the principal again. Do you think it's appropriate for atheists? I'm not opposed to my children being exposed to the idea of god, but I'm not sure how I feel about it being presented as unassailable truth.

[~clover~]

Bugger! Lost my post!!

Ok, I've just filled in enrollment forms for the Steiner school. Just hope housing works out for us now!

Religion: I was raised Catholic & feel ok with the kids learning about it, but they are in the public system. I don't mind the kids learning about different religions. Knowing about them & what they believe. I don't like them being taught to believe those religions.

High school: I was worried about that transition, but the principle said they haven't noticed any problems with it. The kids have been fine. There is one about an hour away that goes up to year 9 & that & another one might conform to make a highschool later on, but for now thats as far as they go.

Parents/kids: Here almost all the kids are a bit hippy. I wasn't sure how DD1 would go, coz they do dress differently, but hopefully she'll start to relax about what she wears! Both of them might stop stressing about what others think of them!

Our Steiner school was a parent run school until they almost closed down last year. Thats when it became Steiner. They had 27 enrolled when I first got in contact, in a bit over a week they've had 5 more enrollments!

I filled out the girls forms & one asked about immunisation, the other didn't. I let the principle know & told her they were both immunised & she shrugged her shoulders & told me that most of the kids were unimmunised anyway & that it was just a standardised form.

I like everything about it so far


Gigi - I totally get how you feel. But, FWIW, there are always people who won't judge you based on appearances. & there will always be others who are giving up to give their kids the best education they can. You won't be the only one in your position I know because I was in the same place when DD1 sttended a Catholic school for a while.
I was driving a 76 Kingswood for a while! Kinda stands out next to the brand new Prado's

[Gigi]

wouldn't phase me at all, if the other parents were hippies. I dunno, it comes out in different ways. The playgroup plans excursions to places where i don't have the money for the admission cost, i don't have the petrol money to drive to where the excursions are (hour drive from where i live). So it's awkward when my child can't work out, why we don't go to the same places the other members go to. I live within my means, so we are not in debt. I could get a credit card i suppose, and max out the card, but i would stress about that, so i chose not to accumulate debt.

i gather there are Steiner schools where alternative lifestyle families are the norm, i've never thought about their income brackets. I just feel it keenly now, i have playgroup mums saying to me "don't you like going on holidays", when i go quiet, and they have been talking about this year's OS holiday. I'm happy for them, that they get to go, and the wonderful experiences their children get to have. I cannot bring myself to say "if i had the money to go on a OS holiday (for months), i would prolly use it to rent in a safer neighbourhood". They seem to take for granted, the lifestyle they have, and if you don't do the same, assume that i don't WANT to do those things.

I've had to rationalise everything, i have to make priority decisions all the time, to survive the best we can. It does cut down your choices dramatically. But i travelled OS when i was very young, i love travel, it's got nothing to do with not being interested. It's too embarrassing to have to constantly point out the fiscal difference, such a downer. I would like to be accepted for who me and bilby are as people, not our postcode, not the car we get around in etc. I actually think we are very fortunate. We're not homeless, we have food in the fridge, we have a car. I think that makes us very fortunate. I don't take any of those things for granted and work on the budget constantly, so i can maintain that, go without other things.

The steiner stream in the state school, both streams wear the school uniform. It seems pretty strange for the steiner kids to be in dark navy uniforms (not the pastel, peaceful colours), but that's the policy of the school. Hearing the school siren every hour, (to signal change of class) does not sound very peaceful to me either, but i guess this is the compromise for having any exposure to Steiner at all, in a metro area. it's the only metro Steiner option here. And much cheaper than the two pure Steiner schools in the outer areas (you would have to move house, for your kid to go to those schools).

My child has been immunised too, and i expect she will be in a class of mainly non-immunised children. After all the medical issues i've had in my life, i couldn't not go down the no immunisation road (although we did "spacing"), i think it's a personal choice. I'm aware how many other kids in our playgroup, their parents have private health care cover for them, i don't have that, so they have other options, when their children get sick. I have ambulance cover, that is it. (after paying horrendous ambulance fees when i didn't have ambulance cover).

i would love to know how to implement Steiner ideas, in cramped living conditions, in an unsafe neighbourhood, in a single parent home. Everything i find, seems to assume space and safety and the nuclear family, with plenty of "village" - e.g grandparents, extended family. I am using TV to a limited extent, to entertain my DD, in the absence of "village", in our situation where going outside to play is a difficult concept. The families i know of, that ban TV, or have no TV at all, have a large range of other options and "village", so i can see how they accomplish the no tv with the kids.

I'm really struggling with everything, how to adjust to being a single parent, being wholely responsible for so many decisions about bilby (her schooling especially), bilby missing her dad so much, feeling very inadequate about everything. I don't want to let her down. I don't want to mess up her education. It's such a big decision.

[onthefly]

Gigi, you do so much with so little - your efforts for bilby and yourself are commendable!
But yeah, most of us are very well off but hardly appreciate it. Like I said, people can get caught up in their own lives and circumstances, they forget that things are different for other people. Like when people bemoan their hard lot that times are so tough they had to let the investmetn property go, or something like that...

Can you suggest destinations for the group that are more affordable (free even)? And perhaps talk to the school about some steiner ideas. I get the whole no tv thing, and I agree with it in principle, but your circumstances are quite unique, as you say.
But you know I don't think it's not the be all and end all, I'm sure Bilby can still have a great educatino in a mainstream school too (and I'm really not just saying that )

[Gigi]

thanks MadB.

[~clover~]

It is a very hard road. I have the advantage of living rural, so the Steiner education is cheaper here. It also sounds quite harsh where you are... There are no bells at the one here. The kids have no uniform.

Gigi, no matter where Bilby goes to school, with your love & support she'll do well

I have no idea of the prices there, but here its not too bad. I will struggle with 2 at school at a time, but I'll do my best.

[onthefly]

The school here is very rustic And they recently moved so it's not finished yet. Which I think is quite neat. No uniforms either, and of course no media, computers etc. So they're not spending on 'equipment'
It's expensive for us, particularly compared to a 'free' public school, but cheaper than some other schools, I'm sure.