Launching the Steiner BEd at AUT 26 May, 2005

                 Excerpts from a report published in Sphere Vol. 6 (3)

Hearing the previous two speakers (former Federation Executive Officer, Barry Hancox and General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand, Hans Mulder) - responded Professor Allen warmly - reminded him of why he’d actually come from the UK to work with AUT…

“This launch was quite unusual in many ways,” said Professor Allen, “We don’t usually go through this exercise for our new programmes. It symbolises the significance of the development, and also tells us a lot about AUT, the School of Education and Steiner education.” “I was keen to have this event because it demonstrates the way in which the school – relatively new but now the fastest growing in the university – has always been willing to take on new things and new ideas; to look at education in its broadest sense; to look for opportunities to push the boundaries and not be scared off by the innovative and the different.”  He paid tribute to Professor Colin Gibbs, the previous Head of School and his successor, Jay Reid who, he said, have sought to create, along with the staff they have collected around them, a school that has its own vision and identity. It does its work in teacher education with a strong statement about the nature of education at all ages and levels in modern New Zealand. “The work with Steiner education could not be a stronger symbol of those things. So this launch has a broader significance to the university and the school, which is to be congratulated.”

Head of School, Jay Reid : “As I look at the group assembled here … and at the same time think about those who have not been able to come and celebrate with us, I see key groups that have contributed to make a university-based Steiner teacher education degree programme a reality. There are representatives from the Federation, from the Steiner education community, the Anthroposophical Society, those who endorse the programme as academics, the School of Education Te Kura Mātauranga … and the wider university.” Reflecting on the process, he mused, “I think at times each of us has wondered whether our vision of a New Zealand based Steiner education programme would actually become a reality!” The school is committed through its vision of demonstrating quality through the expression of diversity and difference, he told the crowd, thanking the six people who assisted (besides himself) in assuring there would be a programme: Colin Gibbs, Claire McLachlan, Sophie Hayman, Robin Bacchus, Barry Hancox and Gaylene Denford-Wood

“Let me tell you just a little about the journey,” he continued, “The initial contact … preceded my working in the School … but certainly by 2002 there was frequent discussion. … structurally, it was not difficult to design the Steiner specialties. However, getting agreement about which papers and what content was another matter. This is always hard because naturally everyone always argues for an overcrowded curriculum. You can’t leave anything out. All our discussions were always courteous and open – a real achievement, and a tribute to the people involved. In the end we realised that we were really talking about a five-year programme – three years for the degree and two years of provisional registration. When we agreed upon this we all felt more comfortable.” He described the trip to Wellington to meet the Teachers’ Council and persuade its CEO of the worthiness of a Steiner teacher education programme, adding how interested and supportive she indeed was. “AUT internal processes for programme development are robust. We had to prove need for the programme, demonstrate its quality and integrity, gather national and international endorsements and show how it related to … other specialties ....” “We did,” he announced, “eventually gain the endorsement of the other universities – and proceeded on to a two-day Teachers Council accreditation visit. That was a very affirming process that publicly recognised and praised the work the School was doing ….”

He named the major challenge – to ensure that there are enough students for a cohort for both primary and early childhood. “What we all want,” he concluded, “is continuity of the programme, strong relationships between the professional communities and a growing critical mass of passionate, well qualified Steiner teachers. The School of Education will develop a Graduate Diploma in Steiner education, adding Masters papers … and will look to develop opportunities for professionals that will allow them to staircase from the undergraduate teaching degree to doctorates. This, today then, is a beginning.” 

As a Federation steering group for the BEd, we were mindful of the numerous and individual pathways of teacher preparation - as varied as there are teachers themselves. The most thorough preparation can only be a beginning. Once teaching and learning begins, children themselves become the educators, and professional development will be on-going. How can this BEd programme though, prepare students to achieve the necessary special character integrity? This question - central to the Federation and the Teachers Council panel in the last hurdle of the approval processes – can be a challenge when taking on students with little prior knowledge. (Subsequently, it must be noted however, that some students are already working anthroposophically and some even come as experienced, registered teachers to refresh and upgrade their qualifications. The learning gradient is as steep and richly interesting as each allows, and no one is beyond learning from their fellow travellers.)

The integrity of the BEd’s anthroposophical basis (which includes study of Steiner’s lectures, biographical, artistic and learning process work) will be reviewed by an external monitor in October. Starting from scratch with few resources, six papers to develop and five keen students, has been a substantial exercise coupled with increasing demand to contribute to other courses, forge international links, and to respond locally and internationally to the huge wave of interest generated from the media releases. I am indeed grateful to my colleagues in the Federation, those in the Auckland schools, especially the Associate Teachers and school leaders for mentoring students, as well as those at AUT for their support during this pioneering phase. I take heart from the progress that other universities such Plymouth in the UK have made over the last decade and from the strong words of support that Dr John Burnett has given us as international endorser.

The value of Steiner’s scientific insight and his elaboration of a three-fold model of being human which is at the heart of our endeavours in initial teacher education, I believe, is still the kernel for our contribution to innovative contemporary education.

Gaylene Denford-Wood

gaylene.denford-wood@aut.ac.nz

2005