This article by  Maria Adkinson and Joan Jerman was first published in One Earth Magazine Volume 5 Issue 3 March/April 1985

 

An alternative school has been a natural and important aspect of the vision of the Findhorn Foundation becoming a village. In the past few years, we have nurtured, on inner levels, the foundations for a school. We have also established a playgroup/kindergarten for children three to five years old. In September 1984, a group of people con­sisting of parents and non-parents, both Foundation members and Findhorn village residents, were inspired to carry the vision a step further: to start a primary school in September 1985 for the next age group, children six to seven and a half. Our development has been a gradual pro­cess of grounding the vision while at the same time moving it forward.

Those of us involved in this project want to provide an educational system which embraces the whole child – spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. We have found the model of Waldorf education, based on the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner, to approx­imate most closely the principles of the Findhorn Foundation. We also see an ex­citing potential for the two perspectives to nourish and complement each other.

Our aim is to create a learning environ­ment in which children can develop love and understanding for all people on Earth, and be recognised as spiritual beings, allowed to develop gradually; where education is based on love, the teacher is aware of and able to speak to the inner world of a child, and parents and others are involved in the children’s education. Fundamental spiritual principles and practical skills, as well as crafts, arts and academic studies will be taught.

For those of us in the community, the heart of the project is our motivation to in­clude children from the local area as well as from the Foundation. It represents a further step towards becoming part of the larger region. We envision the school as a Waldorf school, independent from the Foundation, which will provide an alter­native to the present educational system. Recognising the uniqueness of each in­dividual, we seek to complement this system by creating greater choice for each parent to enroll his/her child in the school best suited to their particular needs. We aim to maintain and deepen the positive relationships and links we have established with the local schools, and to foster a spirit of cooperation between the Foundation, the new school and the local schools.

Since the school will begin with children who have spent a year or two in local schools, the first year will be a transi­tion to the Waldorf system – quite a creative challenge for the teachers involv­ed, for they will need to rely on their own inner wisdom to find the most appropriate way of working with each individual child. We presently need trained Waldorf teachers to work with the first year’s class and a possible kindergarten. Each year as the school expands, we will need an addi­tional class teacher.

Organising a Waldorf school is very much a group project which requires the support of the whole community as well as the dedication of a group of individuals. Regular participation by parents and other interested adults will be integral to the school. The group has been meeting regularly and will soon begin an ongoing class on the philosophies of Waldorf education. Many in the community have expressed enthusiasm for sharing with the children such skills as cooking, garden­ing, knitting, music, painting and woodworking.

We are exploring avenues for funding, investigating locations and assessing our material needs. We are embarking on this adventure with joy, inspiration and faith – knowing that the right people will come forward to join us as teachers, pupils and helpers and that our needs will be met. We trust that by serving children this way we are serving humanity and creating a positive future.