answers to two critical articles

[Deborah]

In January the article mentioned below was cited in a huge thread about problems in waldorf schools. I said I would see if I could find the rebuttal.

The latest to put the charge forward are Dan Dugan and Judy Daar in their article "Are Rudolf Steiner Schools Nonsectarian?" in the Spring 1994 issue of Free Inquiry.

Here it is:
Waldorf Education is Nonsectarian
By Norman Davidson
From the Fall/Winter 1994 issue of Renewal, A Journal for Waldorf Education
© The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America

http://www.thebee.se/comments/articl...nsectarian.htm

The Salon article was also mentioned. Here is a rebuttal for that one:

http://www.waldorfanswers.org/OnSalonArticle.html

I decided to start a new thread because the huge threads take forever to load. If anyone wants to go back to the original thread let me know and I'll find the posts and put in the links (or someone else can do it, I'm not rigid )

Nana

[kaydee]

Interesting. To me, *some* of the spiritual aspects of Waldorf *may* take on a more religious patina (esp. things like the morning verses--which sounds an awful lot like a prayer to my ears) that make me a little bit uncomfortable with the Waldorf/public school mix. The Davidson article was useful in adding some nuance to this issue, which I think is a complex one. We are a family who ultimately decided against Waldorf because of the spiritual nature and underpinnings of the pedagogical approach, and because we felt the administrators we spoke to were disingenous and evasive about the role that Anthroposophy played in the classroom and the administration of the school. That said, I don't know that I would call it a religion (and it certainly doesn't seem much like a cult, as I understand cults).

I have to say, though, I hope that the Waldorf community has better rebuttals to the Salon article than Sune Nordvall's piece. His (her?) hyperbolic language (the repeated chargs of libel and defamation and demagoguery) really undercuts the credibility of the piece, to me. (This is also the problem I have with some anti-Waldorf activists, as well--the stridency and inflammatory nature of their arguments.)

[Deborah]

Hi Kaydee,
Would you like me to share your comments with Sune (he)? I think he'd be glad of the feedback and possibly might even revise the article. But I won't pass your comments on to him (even in a private e-mail) without your permission.

Thanks for actually reading and considering both articles!

Nana

[kaydee]

Originally Posted by Deborah

Hi Kaydee,
Would you like me to share your comments with Sune (he)? I think he'd be glad of the feedback and possibly might even revise the article. But I won't pass your comments on to him (even in a private e-mail) without your permission.

Sure--no problem. You can also mention that I feel that way about many of the pieces on his site. The language is just so inflammatory (calling PLANS a "hate" site, etc.) that, to me, it makes Waldorf look bad (with friends like these, etc. etc.)

[Deborah]

Thanks Kaydee!

I sent your comments on to Sune.

Deborah