Palermo - lonely place between Rome and Sekem

Dear Friends, Palermo lies on the same longitude as Berlin, in the middle of the Mediterranean spoilt by light and sun. On the map showing each Waldorf School as a point of light, we would be lonely light in the darkness between Rome and Sekem in Egypt. (In fact there are six other Waldorf schools south of Rome, Livorno, Capena, Borgo Piava, Trentino and Manaduria.) the land and seaways are so great that one appears to be landing on another continent. The city welcomes sensitive people with a rich, thick and dark atmosphere that has to be worked on. Rudolf Steiner held three lectures here in 1911 and announced the Return of Christ in the Etheric.

Exactly 21 years ago the education of Rudolf Steiner came to Palermo, first as a study group, and then in 1986 an association was founded. 13 years long Claudia Pettenuzzo was the Chairwoman. She is currently performing Michael Endes Gauklerspiel with her class 8. Then the kindergarten opened. In 1992 the school opened and have grown each year by a class- up to the eighth grade.

And that is where we are standing now. We have 160 students including three kindergarten groups and a College of 20 teachers, including two Eurythmists, a learning support teacher and a school doctor.

We want to be a community out of which a Waldorf School could slowly grow out into the city and which made the world of children conscious and protected and which could be a cultural factor in the city.

Screaming contrasts

In Palermo there is a very high rate of students who leave school early and child labour still exists. In particular the Mafia works like a chronic illness to weaken the community and all organs are infected. This reaches from protection money to bribery and corruption of even the highest political offices. The party that currently provides the current president of the government has four leading politicians in court, including the president himself.

So Palermo is a city of screaming contrasts, the like of which one can hardly find elsewhere in Europe; a new airport, luxury goods, big cars, protected villas and collapsing old buildings, whole streets without sanitation, no money for school buildings- the state rents domestic accommodation for school buildings!

In order to hold back the power of the Mafia it requires the self-consciousness of the citizens. What is needed is experience of the value of one’s one skills from childhood onwards, and bringing joy in social contexts. If childhood cannot be protected then the necessary imagination and force of initiative will fail.

At one point we were sent young criminals on probation to work in the kitchen and we could observe that their voluntary involvement was highly appreciated by all concerned. It seemed they were able to regain something they had lost. Even the parents can experience what it is possible to achieve with us if one thinks for oneself and if one takes the initiative and that is worth a lot in Palermo.

The celebration of the festivals and their artistic highlights are also awakening and strengthening. After such events the parents are inspired and the pupils are proud that their parents are so enthused. One high point for us was the performance of Andersen’s Fairy Tale "The Wild Swans" by Class 8 under the guidance of the Eurythmist Christiane Mochner. We even went on a short tour of Italy on request.

A building is needed urgently

But what really threatens our existence is the absence of a school building!

I am writing these words in the office which is about 4 by 3 meters small. The teacher’s room is not much bigger. The meting room is a multi purpose room about 8 by 10 meters in which meals are served in shifts, in which eurythmy takes place and festivals are held. The school authorities only gave permission for two kindergartens and five classes, all the other rooms are too small. The Middle School, classes 6 to 8, is not legal and the pupils have to be sent by their parents privately to a state school to sit the required Middle School exams.

Despite the lack of space, we pay the highest rent of any Waldorf school in Italy (4,500 Euro) and still has the lowest school fees (around 200 Euros)! A teacher’s salary is about 800 Euros. State school teachers are striking because they only earn 1000 Euros which does not even cover their living costs.

We have to bring too much initiative into the financial survival of the school. The state pays nothing. This year we are organising a summer school, Easter market, Lotteries, Benefit meals, sale of food products and a café in a rented shop to raise money. And if everything works out, we will come out with minus 20,000 Euros this year- there can be no thoughts of building!

For our great dream of an Upper School we would not lack students or teachers. The only thing we lack is money!

Stephan Heinzmann (translated by Martyn Rawson)

Donation key word: 4604 Palermo

* 23 Italian Waldorf schools are located in the very North. Livorno in the Toskana already belongs to the few schools, which are located in the South of Bologna. The other five are Rome, nearby Capena and Borgo Piava, then Trentino and Manduria at the "schoos end" – and Palermo.

More information

• 03/2006 - Report

Internet information

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Contact

Libera Scuola Waldorf
via Parlatore 20
90145 Palermo
Italy

Tel.: +39 091 226 208
scuolawaldorfpalermo@hotmail.com