Whangārei parents keen to open Steiner school

Sisters Amy Kirk and Tessa Lagerstedt, pictured with Lagerstedt's son Ferdinand, are working on opening Whangārei's first Steiner school. Photo / Tania Whyte

A group of Whangārei parents wanting to give families an alternative to traditional education are working on opening the city's very first Steiner school.

Based on the pedagogy of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, Steiner education draws on Steiner's belief in a spiritual realm and aims to develop the whole child in the areas of thinking, feeling and willing and also spirit, soul and body.

Whangārei mum Tessa Lagerstedt, who has "an almost 2-year-old", and her sister Amy Kirk, who has a 4-year-old, were inspired to open a Steiner school after talking with other parents about schools in the city.

"The schools in Whangārei are quite big and there seem to be a lot of TV screens in classrooms. My sister and I both weren't so keen on that so we thought 'someone needs to start an alternative school' and in the end we thought we should do it."

Lagerstedt first learned about Steiner education as a child, and also has friends who attended Steiner schools.

She said she liked that children had unstructured play up until the age of 7, and that once children started school at 7 they had the same teacher throughout their primary education.

"It can be quite unsettling to change classrooms and teachers every year, and you create quite a beautiful bond between the student and the teacher.

"There's also a big focus on nature so children are learning how to grow food and how to cook food. Everyday they will cook bread for lunch. And in the classrooms there's a big focus on natural resourcing."

Lagerstedt said she had spoken to adults who had been through Steiner education who said they had noticed they were able to think outside the square.

"They will look at problems at quite a different angle to other people. The one thing I've noticed is they have this confidence in themselves - they know who they are, they are really grounded and connected people," she said.

After Lagerstedt and her sister decided they wanted to establish a Steiner school, they approached and joined The Bay of Islands Waldorf Education Trust, which runs Oromahoe Kindergarten, a Steiner education kindergarten.

They have also found a teacher, and a potential site.

"We need to start the application process with the Ministry of Education and get a roll together. We need about 25 students, preferably of a similar age."

Lagerstedt said they have been promoting the school in the community and at markets and hope to have it open in early 2022.

On November 21 there will be a community afternoon tea for anyone interested. Visit www.facebook.com/WhangareiSteinerSchool for more information.