Cameras at Waldorf

When you go to most schools, you'll always see those parents who have cameras and video recorders strapped to their bodies. They're down in front, jockeying for the best position to record that "special moment" so they can remember it in future years.

One of the things I noticed early on at Waldorf was that, for the most part, far fewer parents were taking pictures than you would expect in an elementary school setting. You might notice this yourself at your Waldorf school's festival. This was one of the first observations that caused me to become more interested in Waldorf.

Photography Prohibition

At some Waldorf Schools, parents are prohibited from taking pictures at school events.You can find an example of this prohibition of photography on the Waldorf Education list. There are some interesting posts on video taping at Waldorf that discuss a wide variety of programs and policies. Some Waldorf schools use a professional to take pictures or tape video. At some Waldorf schools, photography or video is strictly prohibited at formal activities.

Discuss Waldorf's camera policy in the Open Waldorf forums!

Bottom Line

Opinions on photography and video at Waldorf varies from school-to-school. The only way to ask the following questions at your own Waldorf school.

Questions for Parent's Night or School Tour Cameras and Video at Waldorf Are still cameras and/or video cameras welcome at school events? Are there ever times that cameras or video cameras are not allowed? In lieu of personal photography, does the school hire professionals to photograph or video special events? How does this work? Do I have to pay extra for that? Is the school considering a change in the policy on photography, and if so, what would have to happen? How long would that take? Will I have to adjust my behavior at Waldorf if I really like taking pictures of my child? You can print out the Master Checklist for parents, and bring it with you to school.