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Waldorf (Steiner) education is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy. The pedagogy emphasizes the role of imagination in learning, striving to integrate holistically the intellectual, practical, and artistic development of pupils. Steiner's division of child development into three major stages is reflected in the schools' approach to early childhood education, which focuses on practical, hands-on activities and creative play; to elementary education, which focuses on developing artistic expression and social capacities; and to secondary education, which focuses on developing critical reasoning and empathic understanding. The overarching goal is to develop free, morally responsible, and integrated individuals equipped with a high degree of social competence. Qualitative assessments of student work are integrated into the daily life of the classroom, with quantitative testing playing a minimal role in primary education and standardized testing usually limited to that required for college entry. Individual teachers and schools have a great deal of autonomy in determining curriculum content, teaching methodology and governance. The first Waldorf school opened in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany. At present there are over a thousand independent Waldorf schools,〔(Statistics for Waldorf schools worldwide )〕 about 2,000 kindergartens〔 and 646 centers for special education,〔(Waldorf worldwide )〕 located in 60 countries, constituting one of the largest independent school movements internationally.〔Eric Gidseg, "Waldorf education". In Moncrieff Cochran and Rebecca S. New (eds.), ''Early Childhood Education An International Encyclopedia'', v. 4. Praeger (2008), ISBN 0–313–34143–5. pp. 833-835〕 There are also a number of Waldorf-based public schools,〔J. Vasagard, ("A different class: the expansion of Steiner schools" ), Guardian 25 May 2012〕 charter schools and academies, and homeschooling〔M. L. Stevens, "The Normalisation of Homeschooling in the USA", ''Evaluation & Research in Education'' Volume 17, Issue 2–3, 2003 , pp. 90–100〕 environments. In Continental Europe, Waldorf pedagogy has become a well-recognized theory of education that has influenced public schooling and many European Waldorf schools receive state funding. Public funding of Waldorf schools in English-speaking countries is increasingly widespread but has encountered controversy. ==Origins and history== As a young man, Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education,〔 was a private tutor and a lecturer on history for the Berlin ''Arbeiterbildungsschule'', an educational initiative for working class adults. Soon thereafter, he began to articulate his ideas on education in public lectures,〔 culminating in a 1907 essay on ''The Education of the Child.'' His conception of education was influenced by the Herbartian pedagogy prominent in Europe during the late nineteenth century,〔 though Steiner criticized Herbart for not sufficiently recognizing the importance of educating the will and feelings as well as the intellect.〔Steiner, (''The Spirit of the Waldorf School'' ), ISBN 9780880103947. pp. 15-23〕 The first school based upon Steiner's ideas was opened in 1919 in response to a request by Emil Molt, the owner and managing director of the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Company in Stuttgart, Germany, to serve the children of employees of the factory. This is the source of the name ''Waldorf,'' which is now trademarked in some countries in association with the method.〔(AWSNA, Registered Trademarks )〕 The Stuttgart school grew rapidly and soon the majority of pupils were from families not connected directly with the company.〔Johannes Hemleben, ''Rudolf Steiner: A documentary biography'', Henry Goulden Ltd, ISBN 0-904822-02-8, pp. 121–126 (German edition Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag ISBN 3-499-50079-5).〕 The co-educational school was the first comprehensive school in Germany, serving children from all social classes, abilities, and interests. Waldorf education became more widely known in Britain in 1922 through lectures Steiner gave on education at a conference at Oxford University.〔Paull, John (2011) (Rudolf Steiner and the Oxford Conference: The Birth of Waldorf Education in Britain ). European Journal of Educational Studies, 3(1): 53–66.〕 The first school in England, now Michael Hall school, was founded in 1925; the first in the USA, the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City, in 1928. By the 1930s, numerous schools inspired by the original school or its pedagogical principles had opened in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Hungary, the USA, and the UK.〔Friends of Waldorf education, (Waldorf schools' Expansion )〕 Political interference from the Nazi regime limited and ultimately closed most Waldorf schools in Europe, with the exception of the British, Swiss, and some Dutch schools. The affected schools were reopened after the Second World War,〔A few schools elsewhere in Europe, e.g. in Norway, survived by going underground. (History of the Norwegian schools )〕 though those in Soviet-dominated areas were closed again a few years later by Communist regimes.〔E.g. Waldorf schools in East Germany were closed by the DDR educational authorities, who justified this as follows: the pedagogy was based on the needs of children, rather than on the needs of society, was too pacifistic, and had failed to structure itself according to pure Marxist-Leninist principles.("Die Geschichte der Dresdner Waldorfschule" )〕 In North America, the number of Waldorf schools increased from nine in the US〔The schools founded by 1967 were: Detroit Waldorf School, Green Meadow Waldorf School, High Mowing School, Highland Hall Waldorf School, Honolulu Waldorf School, Kimberton Waldorf School, Rudolf Steiner School of New York City, Sacramento Waldorf School, Waldorf School of Garden City.(AWSNA list of schools with dates of founding )〕 and one in Canada〔Founded in 1968, Toronto Waldorf School was the first Waldorf school in Canada.(History of the Toronto Waldorf School )〕 in 1967 to around 200 in the US〔〔〔 and over 20 in Canada〔(Waldorf Schools in Canada | Waldorf ca )〕 today. There are currently 33 Steiner schools in the United Kingdom and four in the Republic of Ireland.〔Steiner Waldorf Schools Foundation, (List of Steiner schools )〕 After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Waldorf schools began to proliferate in Central and Eastern Europe. Most recently, many schools have opened in Asia, especially in China. There are currently over 1,000 independent Waldorf schools worldwide.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Waldorf education」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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