Message for the Korean Waldorf School Association
Waldorf Education became known in Korea with Symposium in the year 1996 held by the Goethe Institute in Seoul and organised by Freunde der Erziehungskunst, who contributed an exhibition of Waldorf Education wofldwide. Since then many people started to be interested in Waldorf Education and many advisers came to South Korea in order to help with the development of kindergartens and schools.
Unfortunately this mutual support did not strengthen the cooperation within the country and for more than a decade different “streams” developed. Only when the Waldorf Teachers Union started, awareness grew of the manifold appearances of Waldorf Education in the country. And awareness grew of the common tasks, which always exist in order to strengthen Waldorf schools in a country such as teacher education, public knowledge about Waldorf Education, representation to the Ministry of Education and similar more general tasks.
In all the years, in which we hold the Asian Waldorf Teacher Conferences (from 2005 till 2017) Korean Waldorf teachers formed an ingegral part of the Waldorf Iandscape in Asia. And the Korean contribution was very essential as there is a deeply grounded approach to and practice of Waldorf education in the country and rich experience in the meantime.
I am more than glad that finally 25 years after the first symposium about Waldorf education was held in Seoul, an Associatio of Waldorf schools in Korea will be formed. I wish the cooperation of Waldorf schools all the very best and hope for a strengthening effect, for a growth of mutual understanding and for the will to contribute to the educational challenges in Korea. May the newly to be formed association be blessed with the good will of everyone in the Waldorf movement and by the good spirit, which is immersed in the Waldorf practice and which always cares for the truly human.
Nana Göbel