Steiner schools "repudiate" their founder's racist beliefs to get state funding -- but will it be enough?

Francis Gilbert's picture
 61
Steiner schools, covert proponents of the nutty mystical philosophy "Anthroposophy" are pressing hard for state funding. As I've already reported on this site, Steiner schools are private "alternative" schools who were founded by an Austrian mystic, Rudolph Steiner, at the turn of the twentieth century. They present themselves today as trendy, progressive schools who welcome parents with alternative views. However, what they keep well hidden is their loony mystical beliefs. Steiner founded a philosophy called "Anthroposophy", a sort of mystical mish-mash of ideas which includes the concept that the human race are "evolving" through the different races, with black people being "of childhood", Asians "degenerate" and white people, of course, being the apogee of the evolutionary tree. Many Anthroposophists teach at Steiner schools today -- and certainly form the bulk of their teacher trainers -- and greatly admire Steiner.

In its bid to boost the number of "free schools", the government is pretty keen to give state funding to these schools but has clearly indicated to that the Steiner movement must categorically repudiate their founder's racist beliefs. The European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education has now attempted to do this here.

The section of this quotation that I would like to analyse is here: "Even though Steiner's ideas are based on a profound respect for the equality, individuality and shared humanity of all people, regardless of race or ethnic origin, his works do contain a small number of quotations that are discriminatory. The SWSF rejects these statements and all racism. However, it should be noted that other great thinkers of his time including Darwin, Schweitzer, Gandhi and Carl Jung also spoke of race in a way that offends modern sensibilities. This does not render them or their work 'racist'." I'm sorry but in my view this doesn't amount to a proper "repudiation" of his racist beliefs at all. What this mealy-mouthed apologia amounts to is actually a defence of Steiner. Now, technically what they say is true: Steiner did make a small number of "discriminatory" quotations, but more importantly, he based a whole philosophy on a racist idea, i.e. that the human races are "evolving" through the different races, thus founding a whole philosophy on racist beliefs. He believed that humans evolve through "reincarnation", starting at the bottom, (ie being black) and then reincarnating until they are "white". There's strong evidence that Steiner schools promote ideas about reincarnation in their schools.

Will this repudiation be enough to get them free school funding? They're obviously desperate for the cash -- and the kudos of being approved by the British government.

However, I should point out that there are a number of other problems with Steiner schools, not least their belief that children shouldn't be vaccinated, which I highlighted in an article for the Times and Professor David Colquhoun has talked about extensively on his website Improbable Science. The UK Health Agency regards Steiner children as unvaccinated.

The pressure on the government to give these schools state funding is intense. Their chief UK spokesperson for Steiner schools, writer Emma Craigie, author of Chocolate Cake With Hitler, is the sister of Tory MP, Jacob Rees Mogg, and prominent Tory Annunziatta Rees-Mogg. The whole family, headed by their father, William Rees-Mogg, former editor of the Times, are friendly with Michael Gove. Emma Craigie is on the left of the photograph here:
 

Gove with Annunziatta Rees-Mogg (middle) and Emma Craigie (left)


 

To find out the full story, please read UK Anthroposophy where there is an excellent, detailed article on all these issues.
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Be notified by email of each new post.





Comments

Pete K's picture
Sat, 16/07/2011 - 15:04

Jan, The Dutch Anthroposophical Commission was composed ENTIRELY of Anthroposophists. That Anthroposophists don't find very much racism in Steiner's work is not exactly startling. I was impressed that they identified 16 passages that would have landed Steiner in jail had he uttered them in Germany today. It is my understanding that the "full version" of the Dutch commission's report is available for purchase - something like $85, last I heard. What source do you have for the comment that Peter Staudenmaier and Helmut Zander haven't had access to the full version?


Pete K's picture
Sat, 16/07/2011 - 15:13

"Pete Karaistos, what they said to your child is, of course, not very wise. To me there is not such a thing as an European race, neither African race, nor Asian race etc. "

Of course there isn't... which makes the point the teacher was making SO much more evident. She didn't use the word "race" at all. I'll paraphrase what she said: "The blood of the people in Europe is more EVOLVED than the blood of people in Africa and Asia." If this statement wasn't in COMPLETE ACCORDANCE with Steiner's racist teachings, there wouldn't be a problem would there? It's the fact that Steiner's racism came out in physiology class that is EXTREMELY problematic for Waldorf schools. Again, this isn't one wacky teacher saying something stupid... The school SUPPORTED the lesson. It doesn't get more racist than this. Steiner's racism IS taught to teachers in Waldorf teacher training - and it DOES come out in the classroom. That's the BOTTOM LINE

Jan Luiten's picture
Sun, 17/07/2011 - 06:56

Pete Karaistos, “What source do you have for the comment that Peter Staudenmaier and Helmut Zander haven’t had access to the full version?” None, they might have read the full version when they can read Dutch.
I don’t think Steiner was a racist. I think that Steiner could have used another concept than race to describe what he wanted to. He would most likely had done this when he lived in our time. Certainly, also without the word “race” it is possible to have racism. But you cannot say Steiner had the intention to legitimate the causing of disadvantage by a supposed superior group to another supposed inferior group (cf. Memmi).
The things said to your child should not be taught in a Waldorf school nor in
any other school. I think there is more arousal , more consciousness , now for that issue in Waldorf schools. I think Waldorf schools in Britain have now the opportunity to present themselves as schools which are alert and perceptive for any form of racism and should also pay attention to prejudices and stereotypes being the first stages towards discrimination and racism.

Something else Pete, just for my curiosity: did you ever experience that one of the comments you send on this blog was “awaiting moderation”?

Pete K's picture
Sun, 17/07/2011 - 14:55

Jan wrote: "But you cannot say Steiner had the intention to legitimate the causing of disadvantage by a supposed superior group to another supposed inferior group (cf. Memmi)."

When he claimed black people didn't belong in Europe for example? I don't know if you consider it a disadvantage when someone declares an entire continent "off-limits" to you... but I think some people bight feel disadvantaged by such a statement.

"The things said to your child should not be taught in a Waldorf school nor in
any other school. I think there is more arousal , more consciousness , now for that issue in Waldorf schools."

Really? My son was in high school... he's only 22 now. I think you give Waldorf WAY too much credit for their "consciousness" when it comes to the nonsense they're teaching children. Remember - they ALL AGREED with the lesson plan!

"I think Waldorf schools in Britain have now the opportunity to present themselves as schools which are alert and perceptive for any form of racism and should also pay attention to prejudices and stereotypes being the first stages towards discrimination and racism."

How is that possible? They still teach RACIST ways of dealing with children to their teachers in Waldorf teacher training.

"Something else Pete, just for my curiosity: did you ever experience that one of the comments you send on this blog was “awaiting moderation”?"

I have experienced this several times on several blogs (not sure about this one). I know it happens to me on Zooey's blog often. I find it happens most often if I link to a website or a picture. I think it's more of an automatic system lag than some human intervention. Have all your comments been coming through OK?

Andreas Lichte's picture
Mon, 25/07/2011 - 18:15

"Waldorf Schools: Rudolf Steiner’s books are “an incitement to racial hatred”, says BPjM

(...) Ruhrbarone publish a short English summary of the BPjM’s decision on Rudolf Steiner. By Andreas Lichte.

The “Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien” (BPjM) (”Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons”) examined 2 books by Rudolf Steiner for “racist content” and decided that the content of the books is racist (...)"

read more: http://www.ruhrbarone.de/waldorf-schools-rudolf-steiner’s-books-are-“an-incitement-to-racial-hatred”-says-bpjm/

Jeremy Poynton's picture
Mon, 08/08/2011 - 04:04

Again. So YOU say - yet you provide NO evidence. Over to you?

I have four adult children who all went through Steiner. They ARE very much what Steiner noted as the core of education - which is to produce "free and responsible" adults.

What a lot of HORRIBLE prejudice there is here. I am really quite shocked. Note - in many European countries, Steiner education is free, and in at lease Germany and Holland, it is seen as so good that the funding of teacher training is done by the state.

But hey - why let the truth get in the way of nasty and vicious prejudice. Why not go and see a Steiner school in action? They all have open days? Go and check the racism in action for your selves before spewing this foul prejudice out.

Shame on you all

Millie's picture
Mon, 30/01/2012 - 21:29

I attend a Steiner school at the moment, and to be honest- they really aren't as nutty and as 'mystical' as everyone seems to think. Evidence? Well, I'm obviously on my laptop now, and I watch T.V just as often as my friends who go to state schools and I have an ipod touch, D.S and a mobile, so yeah. Also, you wouldn't catch me dead in a hand knitted woolly hat or a hand knitted sweater, and same goes for pretty much everyone else in my year. Also, there's this whole rumour going on that the Steiner schools are racist? Rubbish. Loads of my teachers have dark skin and so do my class mates, and it's never been mentioned as a bad thing, just never been mentioned actually. Just like, whatever! Racism is no problem whatsoever;) Also, I've had all my injections jabs thingymajigs, and so have my sisters and my friends, so I hadn't actually known about that problem untill I read about it online. Also- Steiner kids are dumb or behind? Super untrue. Some of the kids in my class are unbelievably smart, and I'm friends with many people who don't go to my school, and the kids in my year are actually way smarter than them. My school actually have the 2nd best GCSE results in the area, 1st is another independent school which costs £3,800 a term, so to be honest we never had a chance against them. Oh, and I learnt to read when I was four, which I believe is pretty average going back to the whole 'Steiner kids are behind' thing(: I admit, with the younger children there is some crazy hippie dippy stuff- but just the odd fairy tale or so! What's so awful about that? They are still learning, just in a different way- just as (and often more) effective than the normal approach at education. Sometimes it takes kids longer to learn how to read and write and so on, but aren't there always a few that find it that little bit harder? And anyway, they'll find it easier if you're not trying to ram it all into their heads at once. I'm 13, and I've been going to a Steiner School for almost eight years, after going to a normal primary school for three. Everyone has a slightly different view of Steiner Schools but the truth is, they have just as many pros and cons as any school, and in my opinion, Steiner schools just let you...be! It's hard to sum up. They don't try and change you into some old hippie, but just try and bring out the best you can be. One of my best friends was expelled from her last school and no other school would accept her. But my school did. Some people think that's one of the bad things about Steiner schools, but it's not! She was given a second chance no other school would give her, and now she's smart and friendly- if she hadn't been accepted at my school, she would've stayed cold and angry. I don't know about Rudolf Steiner himself, but he's long gone- so it's not as if he's in charge of all the schools now! It's only the Steiner schools left to deal with, and they're not bad schools!


Ashley Frank's picture
Sat, 27/07/2013 - 16:46

All three of my children attended Steiner Schools until aged 11 years. One is a post-doc Bio-chemist, one is a Solicitor and the other works in corporate communications. Vaccinations were never an issue as they had all been vaccinated well before school age. At that time we did not own a TV. All three are committed to their work, family and interests. As far as I know they were never truant ( a big problem these days).
I do not recognise the interpretations of Steiner's lectures as racist. The racism I have encountered has not originated from Steiner Schools or Anthroposophical organisations. In my opinion there is enough practical racism in the UK today without worrying about a few mis-interpretations

Brian's picture
Sun, 16/03/2014 - 10:35

'Steiner was not racist in the silly emotional sense. '. So you mean, then, that he was a calculating thoughtful racist. Like this ' .... such people, that are degenerated because the nervous system hardened at a much too early stage and didn’t stay soft long enough – the last remnants of those are the Malayan race.'

Doesn't seem much of an improvement on silly emotional racism to me..

Joseph Koch's picture
Tue, 18/03/2014 - 09:41

I meant that racism is ALWAYS based on some pure emotional trait, such as hate, or fear of being inferior to the target of their aggression. No one can be a racist as this word implies today, being thoughtful or calculating. Since I've never been to that country and not even met any Malayan, there's no way I could have an opinion on this. But do you have any doubt that in quite a few countries, to this day, people still act and look as though they still live at the same evolutionary stage and conditions of humans of the stone age? I have seen it and this is pure observation. Nothing to do with some foolish racism.


Tree shaper's picture
Wed, 30/04/2014 - 06:32

UKIP, EDF, BNP, immigration concerns, IMF resource distribution, the British armed forces in Afganistan, Iraq, the UK supporting the US coup d'état of Libya, Chavez, Venezuela at present, Ukraine, Syria, to mention but a few. Let's analyse the truth about our modern world away from the disinformation of none investigative Western media. Which education systems are producing racists? This is modern day imperialism. Steiner was of a world of the later imperialist age. Who produces modern day imperialists whose actions are those of racists?


Pages

Add new comment

Already a member? Click here to log in before you comment. Or register with us.