Curative Education
Curative education is designed for children with disbailties or developmental delays and with difficulties in social adaption. In curative education living communities, lessons are provided in special schools connected with theaprutical offerings. This includes for example, movment and equestrial therapy, drama, music, painting, and language therapy as well as individually designed therapies. In addition children learn practical skills in workships, in garderns, or working with animals.
The work with children and adolescents is a special challenge. Creativity, empathy, and joy in pedagogical work, are very important. As well as the physical and mental stability. Small children require a lot of patience and love. The task of the carers is to teach them step by step daily things—from behaviour at mealtimes to personal hygiene. Older children need carers with a strong character, who can serve as a role model for them. After the school time, the adolescents switch over to communtiies, which over training programmes. Here the focus is on learning practical skills in various workships and in farming and gardening. The main focus is not on the productivity of the workships. The adolescents shouls discover through the work their own abilities and interests, but also become aware of their limitations. The carer help them to find their own way to adult life and self-sufficiacy.
The day starts and ends together. There is often no clear start of end to the work day. The accompaintment of the residents is not seen as work in many living communities but rather as a way of life. The work with people with disabilities can be a physical and mental challenge. On top of this life in a community does not alwys run so smooth. Volunteers who would like to apply for a curative education living community, should not take this choice lightly. But: To live in such a place for a longer period of time, is a particularly special piece of life experience.
In curative education instituions, good to very good knowledge of German is necessary. The minimum age is often 20 years. Usually only voulunteers with extensive pedagogical expereinces and/or former Waldorf pupils are accepted for these positions. For our placements in pedagogical reas, we receive many applications, but there are only a few voluntary positions avaible here. Please let us know if you are willing to work in another area.
