MADAM – Last week the Department for Education (DfE) was forced to finally reveal documents requested by the British Humanist Association in 2010 relating to how Steiner schools were approved for state funding as free schools.

The papers are available here; https://t.co/Kwww4mnT4o.

Why was the DfE so keen to hide the documents? Because they show that the department had been given detailed information about serious problems occurring with racism and bullying within Steiner schools.

In addition to explaining other issues with standards in Steiner education, it was revealed that eight out of 25 independent Steiner schools had been at the centre of complaints from parents about bullying by staff.

They say: “Some of these allegations are very serious, including racist abuse by other pupils, which the school allegedly failed to act upon despite repeated complaints, and the use of racial epithets by teachers.”

The Government had been told about the way the Steiner idea of karma is used to justify and condone bullying, and how teachers in both state and private Steiner schools are trained in the belief system of anthroposophy, which is founded on unacceptable racial theory.

“Regardless of the (Steiner Waldorf schools) Fellowship’s public stance on anthroposophy, any perceived endorsement by the Department of such a philosophy may attract unfavourable media attention.”

Newsnight recently highlighted the issue and did a good job of exposing the problems of racism and bullying within Steiner education to a wider audience. It is available to watch on the internet.

Helen Saunders

Stroud