INASTE
THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR ACADEMIC STEINER TEACHER EDUCATION
INASTE is an independent worldwide network of academic and academically oriented institutions that offer Waldorf teacher education programs.
Waldorf Teacher Education & INASTE
A brief history of the International Network for Academic Steiner Teacher Education
Waldorf Teacher Education
Waldorf teacher education began in 1919 with a course which Rudolf Steiner held for individuals he selected to become teachers at the first Waldorf school in Stuttgart, Germany. The contents of these lectures, which build the foundations of Waldorf pedagogy, go beyond the boundaries of traditional academic and scientific practice, and have been subject to criticism by academics and educational scientists. At the same time, empirical research has demonstrated the quality and effectiveness of pedagogical approaches based on Steiner’s lectures. A growing body of new scientific research in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, education, and aesthetics supports much of what has been practiced in Waldorf schools for over 100 years.
The Waldorf World Today
As interest in Waldorf pedagogy has continued to grow and expand worldwide (in 2023 there were more than 1,800 Kindergartens, 1,100 schools and around 500 special education schools and communities in 70 countries), so has the call grown to further develop Waldorf teacher education in an academic context, and to strengthen the dialogue between Waldorf and non-Waldorf educational approaches.
INASTE
INASTE has played a leading role in this ongoing process. It developed out of a symposium initiated by the Zentrum für Kultur und Pädagogik in Vienna in 2007, which invited all the European institutes for Waldorf teacher education to take part in assessing their status quo and plans for future development. In the process of this and further symposia, it became clear that the transformations in the landscape of European higher education based on the Bologna Process meant both a challenge and an opportunity for Waldorf teacher education to redefine its own position within the realm of higher education. International collaboration among Waldorf teacher education would help stimulate, inspire, and foster this process.
In March 2010, the first formal structures and an agenda were created for the newly titled “Europäische Hochschulkonferenz für Waldorfpädagogik”. In autumn of 2011, as members joined from other European countries, the name of the network was modified and translated to “European Network for Academic Steiner Teacher Education”, or ENASTE. After membership was extended to Universities in Israel, New Zealand, and Brazil in 2017, the network finally became INASTE, the “International Network of Academic Steiner Teacher Education”. Since then, the network has continued to expand, with new member institutes from Taiwan, England, Finnland, and the USA.
INASTE provides a platform which allows for:
regular communication among member institutes
the coordination of exchanges for both students and faculty at member institutes
the support of member organizations regarding issues of research, academic quality assurance, and educational policy (see resources)
cooperation in the organization of international congresses that invite international scholars to take part in an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas on topics relevant to education in today’s world
Drawing on previous and ongoing research in multiple disciplines, the network recognizes the potential that lies in Waldorf pedagogy, and takes an active part in supporting its further development around the world.
For more information on INASTE’s work in the field of Waldorf teacher education, please download our brochure from 2019.
Interested in joining us?
If you are interested in possible collaboration, or if your institution offers Waldorf teacher education in a manner aligned with our Aims and Intentions and you would like to apply for membership, please feel free to contact us at office@inaste-network.com!