ECNAIS

 

National Report

 

  1. Name of  Association

Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen e.V.

  1. Country

Germany

  1. Year

2003

  1. Prepared by

Dr. Bruno Sandkühler

  1. New national legislation for independent schools:

 

Please describe new laws which are in force or are being prepared.

 

 

 

no new laws

 

 

 

  1. National discussions:

 

Discussions about the situation of the independent schools.

 

 

Does the discussions take place in the media, if yes, which questions are raised.

 

 

The situation is still unchanged:

General agreement (and Constitutional Court rulings) that independent schools are a valuable element of the general education system and therefore entitled to public subsidies, but increased attempts to cut funding in the situation of increasing fiscal problems.

 

 

Results of latest PISA have been published at the beginning of November

In some of the German Länder, independent schools have achieved above average results, but this fact is not generally mentioned in the media 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Situation of the Association:

 

Progress, stagnation, decline.

Problems, challenges for the Association.

 

 

 

 

The Association is slowly increasing, the number of students having risen by 2% in the last school year.

 

The teacher shortage has been considerably diminished,

training institutes register increasing numbers of aspirants

 

Financial problems are increasing in most of the association’s member schools

 

. 

 

 

  1. Independent schools in general.

Growth or decline?

The schools’ financial situation?

 

 

 

 

Modest growth

 

Still extremely varying, regarding different German states and individual school situation (building mortgages, equipment, social origin of parents)

 

 

 

 

  1. Special initiatives:

Has the Association during the past year made any particular initiatives in order to promote the work in the independent schools?

 

 

The working group for new evaluation methods and school leaving certificates (portfolio method emd others) has extended its radius, now embracing several European countries

 

There is a strong ongoing public relations work - in the Association as well as as in individual schools. A major event took place in autumn 2004, when all the 188 Steiner Schools had an Open-Door-Day, with hundreds of public events and a central rally in Stuttgart, thousands of persons attending Discussion Panels with politicians, Concerts, Lectures and Open-Air performances. 

 

The WOW-project (see report 2003) was an exceptional success, resulting in more than 300 000 Euros donations for pedagogical projects in developing countries

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Other relevant information.

 

 

Ongoging interest of students in European Volunteer Service