Waldorf-Steiner Education initiated by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the early 1900s is a humanistic approach to education; based on a profound understanding of human developmental stages. It addresses the needs of the growing child and supports in unfolding the potential of each individual child.
In Waldorf-Steiner schools, education of the child involves his/her whole being: the heart, the hands, and the head. The goal is to help children develop clarity of thought, sensitivity in their feelings and strength of their will so they can become free, morally responsible individuals with a high degree of social competency.
The first Waldorf School was founded in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany. Presently, there are more than 1,000 Waldorf-Steiner schools, 2,000 kindergartens and 600 centers for special education, located in 60 countries including Singapore, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia and India.
The Friends of Waldorf Education, the first body to be set up in support of Waldorf Education, was granted the status of a “Foundation in Official Relations with UNESCO” in 2001. In addition, 18 schools in various continents are active members of UNESCO’s network of school projects
(* source: The Friends of Waldorf Education).