Waldorf Curriculum Chart by Yvette Foord.

The Steiner Waldorf Curriculum is so very different from standard school curriculums, but, we manage to cover all of the same subjects and more, only deeper, in a manner which is led by the development of the child, in an investigative, engageing and beautiful way! Here in Zanzibar, since we don't have the classification of an international school with our local Ministry of Education, we are bound to teaching the Zanzibar Ministry of Education Secondary Curriculum. 

The good thing is, a foundation of six years of Steiner Waldorf Primary Education really sets our students up with creativity and problem solving skills. You can see how children's imagination is built up during the early years, with Fairy Tales, Fables, Old Testament stories, and Norse Mythology in that order for each of the years in Grade 1 to 4. For each of these stages, we incorporate local legends and mythology too, to make the curriculum culturally appropriate. African Fairy tales and local fables figure prominantly in Grades 1 and 2. We incorporate Lives of the Prophets into the Old Testament in Grade 3, and more advanced local myths and legends into Grade 4. 

At each early learning stage, the particular story theme carries over to say, learning letters and spelling words, writing short sentences and then writing paragraphs, to in Grade 4, where Norse Myths make great content for learning tenses before full on grammar begins in Grade 5. 

In Grade 5, our langage material shifts from mytholgy to the wonderful introduction to Ancient History with the study of Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient India, Egypt right through to the Rise of Islam at the end of Grade 6, which opens concurrent studies in Geometry and Astronomy. Similarly, handwork and spport moves through the grades in alignment with these core subjects from knitting and crochet and simple games and gym work in the early grades, to weaving and basket making in the later grades alongside Olympic sports like javelin and archery.

Thus ends Grade 6 at The Creative Education Foundation Zanzibar Steiner School. This is an educational opportunity so radically different from other schools in the west, but miles away from anything Zanzibar or East Africa has to offer. You may have a glimpse of why I love it and have a passion for our students from challenging background. It's not focussed on academics, it's focussed on experience, and designed to raise well-rounded individuals who can actually think for themselves. 

When we move through the Zaznibar Secondary Curriculum from Grade 7, things get a little more academic, with the need to conform and perform, with limited time to explore side issues as they arrive in subjects, and little time to really 'live' through the subject. That's the way it is though, and I believe our students have a strong headstart with our Waldorf Primary Curriculum. They have an inherant ability to question, research, aply their skills and knowledgs, and they have solid practical learning from their Primary School education, making them well set to carry these qualities through their secondary education with the support of our secondary team who are also receiving ongoing training in Waldorf Education practices

Written by

judi Palmer

Volunteer Executive Director & Founder

The Creative Education Foundation Zanzibar.

For more information about Waldorf Education check out these links;

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/19/parenting/waldorf-school.html

https://www.sunbridge.edu/about/waldorf-education/