Growing Up In Freedom

52 Weeks of Steiner – Week 41

We are not really aware of the fact that we have regressed in human evolution. In the past, children were allowed to grow up without being educated; their freedom was not invaded.
Now we violate this freedom when we begin to educate them in the sixth or seventh year. We must make up for this crime, this destruction of freedom, by educating them correctly. We must be quite clear that it is the manner of education, the “how,” that we have to improve if we wish to avoid a terrible future situation. It does not matter how much today people
insist on stressing the cultural progress, the dwindling number of illiterates—they themselves are no more than imprints, the automata made by the schools. We must avoid this end, must not produce mere imprints in our schools. We must allow our children to develop in their individuality.

Rudolf Steiner – Education for Adolescents
Lecture 4, June 15, 1921 GA 302

Strong words from Steiner this week. I don’t think it really requires much commentary from little old me. I think he foresaw what was coming, and I think we are in the thick of it right now. I also think as homeschoolers, teachers or anthroposophists we are creating ripples that will heal.

I don’t know why this lecture series isn’t read more, because it is a banger of a series. I’ll end with these notes from Steiner from lecture six on how we move forward in teaching.

We must be quite clear about our task today—namely, to take full charge of what has been implanted in us through our education. This is possible only through a timely exploration
of conscience that extends beyond the individual aspects. Without such exploration we cannot grow beyond what our time can provide us with. And we must grow beyond what our time can give us. We must not become puppets of the trends developed at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Above all, we must admit to the limitations of what is given us by today’s culture; through a comprehensive exploration of conscience, we must attain the correct knowledge, knowledge that will allow us to find our place in life.

Rudolf Steiner – Education for Adolescents
Lecture 6, June 17, 1921 GA 302

Something to ponder…

Until next time,
Marina
(This post is part of a weekly serial started on Michaelmas 2023. To see the other entries, please see the post linked HERE and scroll down to the bottom for individual links)