A conference on the art of education in Steiner national schools, which was held in NUI Galway on Saturday, saw lively engagement by Galway parents and educators as well as large numbers of participants from outside the county.
Organised by the Galway Steiner School Group in conjunction with NUI Galway’s Children’s Studies Programme, the day-long conference was the first in a series of workshops by national and international Steiner educators to take place in Galway over the coming months.
“Steiner education is the fastest growing educational system in the world, and now that Galway is about to get its first-ever Steiner National School it is really important that local parents are equipped with the information that they need to pick the right school for their child,” said Dr Lindsay Myers, director of the BA with children’s studies at NUI Galway. “The aim of our workshops is to enable parents to hear the views of established professionals in the area, to ask the questions that they need to ask, and to experience for themselves the artistic, academic, and practical aspects of Steiner schooling.”
Steiner education is multidenominational, co-educational, and child-centered, and the unhurried and holistic approach to education that lies at the heart of Waldorf teaching has been shown to build both confidence and flexible thinking, qualities that are essential for success in our fastchanging world. Galway’s Steiner National School, which will open in September 2015, is a direct response to high levels of parental demand in Knocknacarra for a wider choice of school type, and there is little doubt that it will significantly enhance the educational landscape of the region.
Parents, guardians, and educators who would like to find out more about the school and Steiner method are invited to attend the future talks and workshops on Steiner education being organised by the Galway Steiner School Group, and to visit the school website at www.galwaysteinerschool.com Anyone interested in pre-enrolling their child for junior infants in September 2015, or in subsequent years, can do so via the website’s pre-enrolment page.
