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Each from their own soil: an exploration of the creation of two Steiner schools in 1980s Victoria, Australia

ABSTRACT Contributing to the understanding of Steiner education as a localised practice, this paper traces the creation of two “second generation” Steiner schools in 1980s Victoria. A period of expansion for Steiner education in Australia, the 1980s saw the number of Steiner schools increase from 5 to 31. These schools were started mainly by groups of parents and teachers who not only advocated for them but also became involved in managing and teaching in them. While the success of these schools relied on favourable conditions for independent schools in Australia, they also depended on platforms of philosophical and educational understanding often a considerable time in the making. Oral history, as well as biographical sociology are utilised to examine the experience of founding members in creating these schools. Interviews with 17 Steiner educators are supplemented with documentary materials to trace the creation of each school, as each initiative sought to “grow out of its own soil”. The largely positive relationship of each to the local “first generation” Steiner school is highlighted, along with the realisation of those involved that “each has to do the work anew”. The importance of a shared vision, conceived partly as inner-work for those involved, is likewise traced for these groups, along with examination of an instance for each where this failed. In concluding, the growth of Australian Steiner education in subsequent decades is briefly touched on, in the context of a new framing for philosophical alternatives under the moniker of “choice”.