Wed, 24 Mar 1999

International Conference on Steiner Education in Africa

By Deborah Fletcher

Nairobi, 24 March (NNA) - An international conference on Steiner education in Africa, “Learning with Love”, will be held at the Rudolf Steiner School, Mbagathi, Nairobi from 28 March to 3 April. The first three days of the conference, which will include guest speakers Brien Masters from Britain, Troels Ussing from Denmark and Peter van Alphen and Ann Sharfinan from South Africa's Centre for Creative Education, are intended for trained Steiner teachers and trainees, the second three days are open to the public.

The conference will be followed by a two week Teacher Training module. After two weeks of training in each term and coursework over a period of approximately three years, successful students will be awarded a diploma in Steiner Education. Peter van Alphen and Ann Sharfinan began this project in Tanzania at the Hekima Waldorf School in Dar es Salaam. Since then, the course has been moved to the Nairobi school.

Earlier in the month, the Nairobi Rudolf Steiner School had already participated successfully in the “Education 2000” exhibition in the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in the Kenyan capital from 3-6 March, where it won the best stall and the most unusual school award. The exhibition was attended by many visitors with questions about education an Kenya and the school used the opportunity to publicise the upcoming international conference as well as to attract more pupils to the school.

The Nairobi school, founded in 1989, has just over 60 children, with combined classes ½, ¾, 5/6, 7/8 and a kindergarten. It is situated on 20 acres of Maasai plains with animals in the Nairobi National Park as its neighbours. Each morning begins with the children and teachers working together on the school farm or other practical activities before the Main Lesson. While some of the children walk long distances to school, others ride on the school bus and some from further afield stay at school as weekly or full time boarders,

The language of instruction is English with Kiswahili and German offered in subject lessons. Visiting helpers assist on the school farm, in the kindergarten, in eurythmy as well as helping the other teachers. The school is currently seeking a class one teacher for January 2000 and a full time administrator. It would also welcome a eurythmist and a German teacher.

ENDS

For further information about either the teaching vacancies or the international conference please contact the school directly: Rudolf Steiner School, P. O. Box 15609, Nairobi, KENYA. Fax: +254-2-891-444, Tel.: +254-303-23300

N990323-01EN Date: 24 March 1999

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