Conference of Waldorf schools and kindergartens in Romania with the support of the "Hague Circle"
"Would it be possible to organise a conference in partnership with colleagues from the Hague Circle, with the aims of reflecting on the foundations of Waldorf education, generating new enthusiasm and discussing current educational issues?" That was the question posed by the Romanian Waldorf Association in the autumn of 2022.
In the beginning of July 2023 the project was realized: a pedagogical conference was held in the city of Timișoara with the title "The Waldorf School and the Spirit of the Times".
At the invitation of the Romanian Waldorf Schools’ Association, 200 teachers gathered with a group of colleagues from The Hague Circle – the International Council for Steiner Waldorf Education[1] – to explore and discuss a series of themes, from ‘The Spirit of the Waldorf School’, to School Leadership and School Management’, to ‘The Art of Education’. A number of discussion groups gathered each day to consider a range of topics, including: the 12 senses, the teacher’s self-education, and cultural studies in the upper school. The third element of the programme included daily workshops – wood carving, geometric drawing, eurythmy, creative writing, music and drama improvisation., amongst others.
Golden sunlight filled every day, and colleagues at the school - https://waldorftm.ro/ - provided a calm and welcoming atmosphere, in which our needs were generously provided.
Schools are asked to shoulder many burdens in the hectic and often contested times in which we live. Teachers are right at the heart of this confluence of pressure and challenge.
The perpetual onward march of regulation and reform serve to create an intense and complex social environment. And amongst the multiple demands of modern life, the crux of the teacher’s work remains the learning and well-being of children and young people. They are the real, ever-present reality, one might say.
So much help is needed to navigate these layers of complexity, paradox and ambiguity – help for children, young people, parents, teachers and support staff. Conferences like this one are perhaps best understood as water in the desert; to refresh, replenish and restore us, in order that we can maintain a keen and steady gaze on the purpose of our endeavours – to create and to provide a time and a space – ‘school’ – in which children and young people can explore, be well, and grow towards a world that waits for them!
Gentle hint: members of the Hague Circle welcome invitations like this one from our Romanian colleagues, and we stand ready to respond with enthusiasm and good intent.
Trevor Mepham (January 2024)