At the core of the Steiner educational philosophy is the belief that each child is inspired to connect with the reverence and awe of the natural world. This allows children to flourish in an environment that is angled toward moral growth, citizenship and social consciousness.
This is often achieved without the influence of digital technologies and ‘screen time’. We strongly believe that electronic media has a detrimental impact on a child’s ability to foster creativity, intellect and spirituality in the early years.
However, we also recognise that living in the 21st century means that, eventually, children will need to adopt digital technologies.
When to introduce digital mediums
There are significant bodies of research in regards to ‘screen time’ from birth to 3 years. It indicates that ‘screen time’ can have long-lasting detrimental impacts on a child’s development. To prepare older students for high school and, later, university electronic media can be progressively introduced from the middle years onwards.
Wellness in the digital age
We also encourage a responsible and child-friendly introduction to the digital community. Parenting in the digital age can be complex and challenging. While there are recognised benefits from being online, there are also significant risks for children. Adult caregivers need to be aware of these risks so that they can support children in the use and risks of digital media.
Cybersecurity conversation starters
At Helena River Steiner School, we support the healthy and progressive introduction of digital media in later years. With this in mind, we are partnering with cyber wellness expert, Kaylene Kerr. She will provide our community with the tools to educate, equip and empower our children to make healthy digital choices.
We will be hosting Kaylene Kerr’s Cyber Wellness Workshop on Thursday, 29 October 2020 from 6pm. Tickets are free for enrolled families and just $5 for all other communities. The ticket price includes the workshop and light refreshments. Tickets can be booked here.
To read more on Steiner education and our wider philosophies, click here.
