PROCESS OF ACCREDITATION AS A STEINER KINDERGARTEN
(in Pedagogy only)
New schools striving to be authentic Steiner Schools may seek the help of RStEP to facilitate their accreditation as a Steiner/Waldorf School.
Conditions for Beginning Kindergartens
1. The Kindergarten should already be operating at least two years before a school applies for accreditation.
2. There must be a core group of teachers, parents or initiative takers appropriately trained in Steiner’s Early Childhood Education.
3. The kindergarten must be working with at least 12 or more children during the two years in operation.
4. The Kindergarten must pay for all direct cost that may be incurred by observer/mentors who will visit the kindergarten.
Process of Accreditation
1. A letter of request address to the Board of Trustees of RStEP should be presented by the Kindergarten owner or Trustees stating their desire to be accredited as a Steiner Kindergarten and mentioning also the fulfillment of the above conditions.
Once the letter is received by RStEP, the requesting party will be notified of the process, i.e.
a. The letter will be forwarded to the appropriate institution in Europe and RStEP would facilitate the mentor who will come to make such assessments. Consequently, the kindergarten will be given a schedule of when the mentors will visit the school.
b. The accreditating institution may or may not ask local teachers to participate in the review. The review may need one or more visits by accredited mentors.
c. The letter of accreditation will be issued by the international body. It may be revoked once conditions are not anymore fulfilled by the institution. These conditions will be made part of seal of accreditation attached to plaque that will be given to the Kindergarten.
This process may take a year depending on the availability and the timing of the mentors that will come.
2. RStEP will award a plaque of recognition to Kindergartens who will use RStEP as the conduit for its accreditation.
Kindergartens, who do not wish to avail of RStEP’s services (for what ever reason) are free to go directly to the accrediting institution.