Amish Education

When it comes to education the Amish believe in basic education as long as it does not threaten their fundamental values. Today, in the Amish community, they support having One-Room-Schoolhouses, for their students, with about thirty students per classroom.

The Amish students only attend school from 1^st Grade to 8^th Grade and then, afterward, they receive some vocational training by helping with farm chores or household chores. All of the grades are in the same classroom with younger children in the front and older children in the back. They are taught by a young lady, that is typically around the age of eighteen or nineteen, that has no more than an eighth-grade education as well.

Amish students learn arithmetic, reading, grammar, spelling, and penmanship as well as some geography, history, health, social studies, and art. The students also learn the three languages that they speak: Pennsylvania Dutch, High German, and English.

School typically begins at 8:30 am and most students get to school by walking, riding their scooters, or some may ride the public school buses. Once the school bell rings, the students start off their day by reading a chapter from the Bible, reciting the Lord’s prayer, and singing three hymns. That is all of the religion that they are taught for the day. After their morning routine students check the chalkboard for their daily assignments for each subject area. It is common to have an 8^th grader checking the 1^st graders work and assisting them throughout the day. Their school day is then over at 3:30 pm.

Throughout the day they also have recess and a one-hour lunch break. During recess and lunch breaks the Amish students love to play outside and their favorite sport to play is baseball. Most one-room-schoolhouses also have a small baseball diamond on the property.

Want to see what a typical Amish One-Room-Schoolhouse looks like? Be sure to check out the pictures below of the One-Room-Schoolhouse here on The Amish Village property!