Pathways to Steiner/Waldorf teaching
Becoming a qualified Steiner teacher - Early Childhood and Primary School
The pathway to teaching, whether it be for Early Childhood or the Primary years begins with a Bachelor of Education or a Masters of Teaching degree and your state’s teaching registration.
The Advanced Diploma of Rudolf Steiner Education, (Course code 10825NAT, CRICOS code 107755A) provides an essential and critical pre-requisite pathway to a university Bachelor of Education. This qualifies graduates to teach in both Steiner schools and mainstream Australian schools and Early Childhood settings. There is currently a shortage of mainstream and Steiner-trained teachers in Australia.
Steiner schools place the highest priority on employing teachers who have attained this Advanced Diploma. We have a Memorandum of Understanding with schools around Australia which states “It is the employment practice of this school that wherever possible we only employ suitable teachers with accredited Steiner Teacher Training.”
Further, the recognition by the Australian Curriculum Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) of the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework in 2011 underscores the fundamental necessity that teachers be professionally trained to deliver this curriculum. The Advanced Diploma of Rudolf Steiner Education has been written (and reaccredited 2019) with the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework embedded throughout the units of competency. This qualification is the sole accredited training course which equips teachers with the knowledge and skills to work with this curriculum.
The Advanced Diploma of Rudolf Steiner Education is endorsed by the peak body representing industry (Steiner Schools), Steiner Education Australia.
Graduates of the Advanced Diploma of Rudolf Steiner Education can complete a Bachelor of Education (Primary) through one of our partner universities or a university of their choice. The Advanced Diploma must be completed first before completing the Bachelor of Education. Details of our Pathway partners are below:
Our relationship with Charles Darwin University extends back to 2010.
Their Bachelor of Education courses can be studied on-line or on their Darwin campus in the Northern Territory.
CDU has created eight pathways to Bachelor of Education degrees, including Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary Teaching specialities. CDU offers up to 180 credit points for the BEd – Early Childhood and up to 140 out of 320 credit points toward the BEd Primary.
Click to read more about each of these here:
We have had a partnership with the Australian Catholic University since 2015.
Download a copy of the ACU credit agreement.
Other universities may also grant advanced standing to our Advanced Diploma graduates. Some of our former students who have applied to universities of their choice have received as much as 2 years’ advanced standing. This is to be negotiated between the student and the university.
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Education (Primary), graduates seek teacher registration through their relevant State authority and are then ready to teach in both mainstream schools and Steiner schools in Australia.
Many of our students who have completed their training through these pathways are now teaching in Steiner schools around Australia: Have a look on our Graduate Outcomes page to read their personal stories.
Frequently asked questions
To become an accredited teacher in a mainstream or Steiner school, you will need either a Bachelor of Education or a Masters of Teaching.
If you choose to do a Bachelor of Education, our Advanced Diploma can be part of that BEd if you do the Advanced Diploma first.
You may choose to complete a Masters of Teaching instead of the BEd. Universities do not accept credits from an Advanced Diploma for a Masters level course. If you pursue the Masters of Teaching, you may wish to either study the Advanced Diploma of Rudolf Steiner Education before or after you complete your Masters. Or you may enrol in our two-year part-time Primary Teaching in Rudolf Steiner Education course to give you the foundations of Steiner teaching to supplement your Masters of Teaching.
If you have no Bachelor of Education degree, the Advanced Diploma is highly regarded in Steiner schools to assist in the classroom; however employment criteria for assistants and aides is entirely at the discretion of the individual school.
Depending on your previous education and experience, you may qualify to be an assistant or aide after completion of our part-time Primary or Early Childhood course.
Employment criteria is at the discretion of the Steiner school. An Advanced Diploma in Rudolf Steiner Education will give you the resources you need to start in the classroom with confidence.
Many Steiner schools will accept suitably qualified and experienced teachers who have completed our part-time online (non-accredited) Primary Teaching in Rudolf Steiner Education.
