When we were preparing to welcome our child, I started looking into different education options here in Australia. Since I studied overseas, I wanted to really understand what was available.

What caught my attention most was alternative education, especially Steiner. Its philosophy and the way it’s put into practice really spoke to me. It felt harmonious and true to the values I hold close. I believe that if we want to nurture a generation of caring, conscious individuals, the journey has to begin from the heart.

Of course, there are wonderful souls in every school. But Steiner gave me peace of mind because it felt so human-centred. It sees every child as a universe, full of possibilities, and that was exactly what resonated with our family. The number of children at Sophia Mundi made the experience very personal and tailored for our children. At an Open Day at another school, I realised Malakai was too little to be running in all those long and cold corridors. Location of the school was another factor. Considering proximity to the city, farm, and the river.

By observing how Malakai grew, I realised what I knew about Steiner was very basic in the beginning. Festivals, rituals, rhythms of the different classes deepened my understanding. The way the craft is taught, the songs interwoven in the education of early years of primary school, attending the concerts and seeing how the children and the community developed and enriched in practice enabled me to deepen my understanding of Steiner education.

The art class is a clear example of the human-centred approach that drew us here. The teacher observes the output of each individual student however s/he is not expecting all the children to have similar drawing or watercolour. The teacher acknowledges the human behind each of those drawings, some are slow to develop drawing specific shapes, while others may look very advanced. Rather the teacher looks at the child's journey and considers all aspects of a human that s/he is.

Seven years later, we’re still so grateful. I am super lucky to be part of this community. Our child has blossomed into a thoughtful young individual, and the sense of community around the class has been such a gift. 

- Fereshteh (Class 6 parent)