Knitting with Luna, Mrs Love and Jennifire

We talked how traditionally subjects had been gender stereotyped. How girls did Home Economics and weren’t allowed to take Woodwork. It has come up in conversations before, and is often a response from females. Often Women have a negative association with knitting and crocheting which stems from being forced to do it at school, when they would rather have been doing woodwork or learning how to change a plug.

The school I attended was academic, commercial, art and technical. It had motor, fitting and turning, woodwork, electronics and electrical workshops. Girls were allowed to take any of these subjects. So some of my girl-friends learned how to strip and fix car engines for matric!

However boys were not allowed to take typing nor home economics.

A discussion looked at the criticism leveled at learning structures which emerge from school systems like Waldorf schools. We explored how Waldorf systems are seen as being more nurturing, holistic, student centred, perhaps more loving. A common criticism is that students emerge unable to fit in and deal with the harshness of contemporary society. The conversation took another view; perhaps these students are better able to deal with life, having been developed spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, socially and culturally. They are developed in interior ways, creating more stable Selves.

A commented was made that at a tertiary level, students from Waldorf schools are more emotionally developed and balanced.