Waldorf Alanya School: focusing on the needs of the child

Are there alternatives in education to improve our children’s quality of life? Not only for today, but also for the future? Or are we stuck with the exam oriented education that surrounds us?

A group of parents found the answers to these questions in a remarkable and innovative method. Under the leadership of Orhan Demirtaş, who has a Master’s Degree in Waldorf Pedagogy, they decided to ‘organize an innovative curriculum according to the needs of the child’ instead of ‘adapting the child to the ready curriculum’. The result was the establishment of the Waldorf Özel Yaşam Okulu” (Waldorf School Alanya) school in Oba Mahalle, Alanya.

Curriculum based on universal values

The Waldorf School Alanya, that opened in 2017, implements a program that achieves and goes beyond the goals of the Turkish Education Curriculum. It’s the first primary school in Turkey which follows a program based on universal values followed by 2000 Waldorf kindergartens and 1100 Waldorf primary and secondary schools worldwide.

Learning by experiencing

In the school there are many tools to promote the creativity of the children and enable them to learn by experience. They are not there for a hobby but as a part of the curriculum. For example: the boutique café run by children, the agricultural areas, an earth oven built by children, a carpenter workshop, a handcraft workshop and music classrooms. Furthermore the school has a 300 seats performance center, playgrounds and children soil playground where the children freely can play with mud. These are all fundamental components of the Waldorf School Alanya’s educational plan.

Teaching with creative energy

The teachers of the Waldorf School Alanya refuse traditional, test-oriented and memorizing education. Being able to continuously produce course content with creative energy without ready materials is not a competence that every teacher can achieve. Teachers are free to improve their education plan in the Waldorf School and give direction through improvisation.

The values and the innovative education program, has attracted the attention of the parents who are teachers, therefore 65 % of the parents of the Waldorf Schools consists of teachers who work at state schools.

Waldorf parents are taking an active role in activities and school operation. They take responsibility for the needs and development of the school, rather than just watch the Year-End Ceremonies.

The families of foreign nationals living permanently in Alanya – including a large group of foreign nationals married to a Turkish national – have a big contribution to the apprehension of the world around us. These foreigner families are those who have experienced living and adapting in a different culture. Perhaps this is why they care about an educational system that encourages their children to live, adapt, and respect local cultures anywhere in the world. We see that for many of them this is the basis for choosing Waldorf. The games and entertainment content of the Waldorf School in the English and German language are helping the foreign children or children with a double nationality to adapt and improve their cultural amalgamation.

The private Waldorf School gives Alanya an important cultural wealth. It will guarantee the cultural harmony of children of foreign nationals who will continue to live in Alanya in the future.

HOW IS WALDORF DIFFERENT?

Tel. | +90 530 688 5177

Email: info@waldorfalanya.org

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Text & Photos | Waldorf School Alanya

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