Discoveries in the Netherlands part 1 - Steiner
Hello dear amigos,
Here we are settled again, in Roodeschool, in the very North of the Netherlands. We are in a centre that is about consciousness and spirituality development. We've been here for almost two weeks and we're glad and happy!
We have a lot of time for ourselves wich allows us to link more with daily yoga and meditations.
Today in this article we are going to tell you about our last discoveries through the Netherlands that we crossed on foot and hitchhiking, leaving from Den Haag, (La Haye). We have for the first time slept in our tent and we made a lot of interesting meetings when we slept thanks to the website couchsurfing.
Few pictures of our trip from Den Haag to Roodeschool:
Thanks to all our host and those who made these last weeks possible.
This article will be divided in different parts, during the weeks coming.
First, two Steiner's schools, then in a second article, an ecological village. Then, in a third one, three surprising ways of re-investing a place; and few initiatives we quickly crossed on our way and we liked.
The discoveries in the Netherlands part 1
The Steiner School.
Quick bio of Rudolf Steiner.
Rudolf Steiner is an Austrian scientist and philosopher who lived between the end of the XIXth century and the begining of the XXth century. He invented the Anthroposophy wich is a phylosophy that studies the human being in its natural environment and it applies to various fields such as economy, politic, agriculture (biodynamic), pedagogy,...
The first school we visited is situated in Den Haag, it's a primary school, we met the director and a woman from the administration department. We will call them Georges and Barbara. "Here, we learn with art, through the head and hands'' told us Barbara, smilling, with a tea in the hand.
In this school, the students are thirty per class, they stay together during the six years of primary school, with the same teacher who follows them all the way. Everyone must learn to live with the others and the teacher; thus, to take care of your relationship with the others because you don't change classmates or teacher at the end of the year. Georges explains the number of kids per class: "Here we learn on our own thanks to the others, just like in real life, outside of school''.
In these school, also called ''vrije school'' (free school), the kids of course attend math, science, foreign languages lessons and more, but the pedagogy is way different. The kids evolve at their own rythm and the lessons are given when they become curious about something, ready to receive. The teatcher, well knowing its students, almost individually adapts its lessons and exercices. When a teacher feels like giving some knowledge, he/she can refer to the data base given, where he/she can choose between different teaching methods, he/she doesn't follow a classical program. They mostly take care of the individual needs, the human is put forward more that success.
Barbara gave us an example on the pedagogy of this school: ''We give each student a meter (to mesure), and they all can go wherever they want to mesure what they want. That allows them to understand distances the way they truly are, they can then represent themselves how long is a meter, they learn to count and to situate themselves in space. A student mesured the playground, so what ? Great idea''. She tells more: ''You just need a history lesson on roman warriors fighting in winter to see a line of student walking on the playground with a stick in the hand, then they can put themselvse in the warriors shoes''. The process of learning goes more through experiences than courses.
When you come off of a Steiner school, you have the same level of education than a kid from the classic school, but you don't think the same way. Olaf, our host during this time period went through Steiner education until highschool. He claims that today his learnings are for him very beneficial, and it is sometime nice at his work because he sees problems and solutions from another point of view.
A big thanks to Olaf and Annette for having us during this periode of time.
Every morning, all the adults working at the school gather before the start of the classes for a morning meeting, so eveyone arrives on time, calm and available for the kids.
The Steiner institutions, the school but also the appartments, the retirement home,... have a very particular architechure. The walls bends and have curves, the roofs twist, the windows have various shapes, we then find more the nature shapes wich are everything but right and square. It's pretty and enjoyable.
Little fact on every schools in the Netherlands, the playgrounds are open on the streets, on the neighourhoods, and sometimes, even the street is the playground; no fences, trust is above.
The second Steiner School we had the chance to visit stands in Dronten and is a superior school in Biodinamy, the only one in Europe giving a biodinamy diploma: Warmenhof school (picture above).
The biodinamic agriculture: developped by Rudolf Steiner, it is an agriculture wich links together plants, animals, humans, grounds and stars. Each one is usefull to the others, willing to be the most self sufficient circle as possible. A biodinamy calendar published every year, shows the link between agriculture and stars, helping out the farmers. You can find biodinamic products under the ''Demeter'' label which ensure, like the "Bio'' label, a certain type of agriculture.
We met Joep (pronounced ''youp''), fishing by the lake, studying in second year. He gently gave us a tour of the place and his appartment on campus, and he explained us how does the school work. Even if it was winter break, the place was lively.
In this school, during four years the students are taught agriculture, mainly biodinamy, but also math, science, and foreign languages, ... Every morning, theoretical courses are given, then in the afternoon everyone goes in the choosen activity. Joep, him, takes care of the milk cows of the school's farm, others are under the vegetable greenhouse, others learn how to make cheese, and others are learning in the farms around. They have a little bio and biodinamic shop to sell products from the farm and others.
Among the hundred students, each finds its way and seem passionate about what it's doing. The most of them will then work in biodinamic farms or will create projects following their ideas. They all live on campus, like in a little village where they meet everyday.
These schools are very popular and expensive, so not given to anyone. Already well developed in the Netherlands and in Germany, we can hope that these schools grow more and more, so that they become more accessible to all!
Thanks to all, see you soon !
A&A