The development of Steiner / Waldorf education: Looking through the lens of time

Abstract

Steiner Waldorf education has undergone many developments since it was first introduced in Stuttgart in 1919. Some of these have been the result of pedagogical experience, others in response to outer requirements, while others have been a response to changed and changing circumstances. Numerous articles have been published outlining changes Waldorf education has undergone since its establishment 100 years ago, and how it will need to develop in years to come. We look at development in relation to a fourfold concept of time: past, present, future and eternity. Instead of looking at changes and developments in general, we consider them in relation to one of these four aspects of time. We look at what eternal qualities in Waldorf education might be, and what development could comprise in connection to the eternal. Lastly, we consider how working with such a concept can help with processes of revitalisation and renewal which have been called for by many authors.