Estrella Andina in Lujan de Cuyo (Mendoza Province)

In the west of Argentina, at the foot of the mighty Andes, lies Mendoza province with Mount Aconcagua as its highest point (over 6,000 meters high). Large parts of the area are steppes. Cities have emerged wherever there is water. Since the turn of the century, there has been growing interest in anthroposophy. In 2012, enthusiastic and engaged parents took the initiative to start the first Waldorf Kindergarten. In 2016, the first grade started, and three years later, there were already 100 children at the school.

That’s when problems began to grow across the country. With inflation exceeding 55%, it became increasingly difficult for parents to keep the school afloat. As interest in the school did not diminish, new enthusiastic teachers also had to be found. At the same time, there was a need to train these new teachers in Waldorf pedagogy. Further expansion with new classrooms also became problematic. By the time a plan was approved, inflation had driven construction costs so high that it became unaffordable.

With support from Freunde der Waldorfpädagogik in Germany, the necessary classrooms could still be built. However, teacher training remains a major expense. Due to steady growth, the current need is clear: how can we offer about five new teachers a Waldorf teacher training? In the current situation, a teacher’s salary is insufficient to support a family—even with two earners. As a result, some teachers work another job in the afternoons to make ends meet, leaving little time for proper Waldorf teacher training.

To give an idea of the scale: for €1,500, a teacher can complete their four-year training. The desire to participate in such training is there; the means, however, are lacking.