STEINER WALDORF EDUCATION HELPS CHILDREN TO GROW INTO THEIR OWN PERSON
Encounters and communality are at the heart of Steiner Waldorf education. Children’s growth into the best possible version of themselves is supported throughout their school years. Free play in early childhood education and care and reflecting on fairy tales and stories, and later on factual knowledge in school, provide each child and adolescent the means to grow to become part of the changing world. Children in Steiner schools use various working methods, producing texts and pictures from what they learn. Doing things by hand and an ecological approach are prioritized from early childhood education and care all the way to upper secondary schools.
“It is the teacher’s job to allow each individual to develop for the yet unknown future, find their own place in this world, become a brave agent who also has the courage to question norms. We practice empathy and emotional skills on a daily basis, and art plays a major role in this.”
– Kati Heikkilä-Huhta, subject teacher in the Steiner School of Oulu
9 Reasons to Choose Steiner Waldorf Education
Steiner Waldorf Education
You can enrol in a Steiner school right from the start. Most Steiner schools accept pupils into 1st grade in the order of enrolment.
You can contact Steiner day care centres directly to ask them about available places – preferably well in advance before you need care.
Preschool education according to the Steiner Waldorf pedagogy is provided in Steiner day care centres and the preschool groups of schools.
Pupils can complete their full comprehensive and upper secondary education in Steiner schools.
Steiner schools are maintained by a private education provider and they receive a state subsidy for each pupil.
There are only a few municipalities that provide equal support to the schools of private education providers and municipal public schools. Due to this, Steiner schools collect voluntary contributions from pupils’ parents.
The financial support from parents, the fundraising of the support association and membership fees are vital for running the schools.
The size of the contribution varies depending on the school.
It ranges from EUR 25–125 per month.
All the Steiner schools in Finland have a license to provide education, granted by the Finnish Government, and are therefore entitled to present certificates. The schools comply with the National Core Curriculum and the framework provided by the Steiner Waldorf pedagogical curriculum.
Steiner Waldorf pedagogical early childhood education and care complies with the National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care and the Steiner Waldorf pedagogical early childhood education and care plan.
Snellman College educates qualified class teachers for Steiner schools and ECEC teachers for Steiner day care centres.
Ever since the first Steiner school was opened in Germany one hundred years ago, the school movement has spread across the globe. There are more than 700 Steiner schools in Europe. Today, new Steiner schools and day care centres are opened especially in Asia. All the Steiner schools and day care centres in the world cherish the same values of human growth.
Cooperation within the school movement is active. Pupils take part in joint international projects, and teachers obtain further training in international events for teachers.
The Federation for Steiner Waldorf Education in Finland represents the Steiner schools and day care centres in Finland in international cooperation activities.