Validating a Steiner-Waldorf teacher education programme

Abstract

Steiner-Waldorf (SW) education is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). It provides a distinctive form of education. There are about 900 SW schools worldwide (Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, 2006). SW schools in the UK are in the independent sector, but aspire to be state-maintained to reduce the financial barriers to access. This process has recently begun in England (Woods et al., 2005) and is likely to spread across the UK. There is a shortage of SW teachers and state-funding is likely to result in the expansion of SW education and further teacher shortages, unless SW ITE can expand at the same time. The only teacher training course for SW education in Scotland is currently offered at the Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School (ERSS, 2006). Although students are continuously assessed on various assignments, completion of the programme does not currently carry any formal credit.