Fri, 24 Feb 2006

German Waldorf School Association may take legal action to stop computers in kingergarten

STUTTGART /HANOVER (NNA) – The German Waldorf School Association, Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen, in Stuttgart has not ruled out legal action to prevent the enforced introduction of computers into kindergarten. Several of the German regions have proposed such a measure in their education plans.

On occasion of its presence at the Didacta, the largest education and training trade fair in Germany which took place from 20-24 February, the association said child-centred education had to focus on the abilities, capacities and interests of children and support them in as diverse a way as possible. If education plans such as proposed by Saxony, for example, were to be introduced, Waldorf education would be put at risk.

According to the association, the Saxon state parliament has adopted legislation forcing day-care centres for children to adhere to education plans.

The motto “the earlier the better” was not an adequate response to the challenges facing the education system, the association said. Premature and often one-sided intellectual demands of children could cause “sustained damage to health” and lead to learning difficulties and lack of concentration. This had also been shown in scientific studies.

The action of the Waldorf School Association comes in response to far-reaching changes planned in German education, including lowering the school age to give four to six-year-olds a better preparation for university, work and survival in economic competition.

In contrast, Waldorf education insists on the right to childhood. “The specific way that children educate themselves goes further than one-sided intellectual activity,” Margarete Kaiser from the International Waldorf Kindergarten Association said.

NNA/ung/end/cva

Item: 060224-01EN 24. February 2006 Copyright 2001 News Network Anthroposophy Limited. All rights reserved. See http://www.nna-news.org/copyright/

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