"Waldorf" Schools

[Michael MASINTER]

The Waldorf schools I know are private schools.

Michael R. Masinter                     3305 College Avenue
Nova Southeastern University            Fort Lauderdale, Fl. 33314
Shepard Broad Law Center                (954) 262-6151
masinter at law.acast.nova.edu

On Tue, 20 Jan 1998, richard duncan wrote:

> It has come to my attention that there are a number of public schools
> in California and elsewhere that have adopted something called the
> "Waldorf" educational program. This program requires school children
> to practice what looks like religious rituals to me. The school day
> begins with the children reciting the following verse/prayer:
>
> The loving rays of sun
> Give me the light of day;
> The spirit power of soul
> Within my limbs I feel;
> In sunshine shining clear
> I reverence, O God, [some schools change God to "the light within"]
> The power of human strength
> Which thou so graciously
> Hast planted in my soul.
>
> The classrooms are sometimes decorated with paintings of the sun, and
> the children are required to participate in various types of chants
> and rituals involving a sun flag and similar symbols.
>
> I have heard that in at least one Waldorf school there have been
> claims for an opt-out from these chants, pledges, and recitations; the
> school denied the opt out request.
>
> I don't know all of the facts about this Waldorf program. Some say it
> is part of some New Age or Wicca religion.
>
> A few questions. Does anyone know anything about these Waldorf
> schools? Should there be a Free Ex opt-out allowed for religious
> dissenters? Should there at least be an opt out under Barnette for the
> verse/prayer and the pledge to the sun flag? If the facts are as above
> (and I do not claim to know the facts--I solicit information from
> those who do know), does this program violate the EC?
> --
>                    ----------
>              Rick Duncan (rduncan at unlinfo.unl.edu)
>
> "Godlessness is the first step to the gulag." --Solzhenitsyn
>