Visiting a real Amish Schoolhouse can be an eye-opening experience for your children. You will learn about the limited formal education, one-room classrooms, and forgiveness.
One-room classroom
During the early 1800s, the Amish lived in communities, and some of them had their own schoolhouses. The schools were typically small, but they were a great way to educate children. Students would ride on horses or buggies to school. A teacher would live in a nearby farmhouse. The schoolhouse provided a place for children to learn, socialize, and interact with their classmates.
Amish students learned High German, Pennsylvania Dutch, and English, and they also learned history, science, art, and geography. They were prepared for the work world by learning basic skills. The Amish schoolhouse was one room. The teacher would make assignments and call students up to their desks to recite what they had learned. The students often helped out with school maintenance. They might shovel snow or clean after class.
The school also had a bell tower, outhouses, and playground equipment. During World War II, some schools consolidated into larger buildings. Many of the small one-room schools went unused.
After World War II, new buildings and facilities became available, which rendered the one-room schoolhouses obsolete. Some Amish parents protested the consolidation, believing they were losing control of their children. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that states had to facilitate education for Amish children.
Today, there are approximately 200 one-room schoolhouses in the United States. They are still used in Amish communities, though they are becoming less popular. These schools are a unique part of American history, and a documentary has been made to draw attention to them.
Limited formal education
Those who live in the Lancaster area will find the Amish Schoolhouse to be a convenient place to learn. The school is within walking distance of their homes and provides a limited formal education for their children.
The curriculum is designed to emphasize basic skills, such as reading, writing,, and math. In addition, it also teaches history, geography,, and farming skills. Students learn three languages: High German, Pennsylvania Dutch,, and English. The curriculum is taught by a young, female teacher. She is typically between 18 and 22 years old. She is chosen based on her academic ability and her commitment to Amish values.
A typical day in the Amish Schoolhouse begins at 8:30 with a reading section and an opportunity to recite the Lord’s prayer. After this, students participate in group work and play games. The school also features a softball field and outhouses.
Amish children also have chores around the home. They help with cleaning, laundry, and barn chores. Some mothers even provide hot meals for their children.
The Amish Schoolhouse provides limited formal education through eighth grade. Those who wish, they can also attend a public school. Some Amish families even provide parochial schools. The Amish Schoolhouse is also a central social gathering place, especially for older students. There is a lot of discussion about religion. The Amish believe that classroom learning represents only half of the knowledge they need for adult life.
In the United States, one-room schools are legal. Although most of the Amish communities provide parochial schools, some of them will allow men to teach. This can be a real barrier to integration for the Amish.
Forgiveness
Whether or not the Amish decided to forgive the gunman that killed 10 girls in their school in Nickel Mines, Ohio, is anyone’s guess. Some outsiders thought it was an easy decision, while others wondered if the decision had been made during a formal meeting.
The Amish, however, showed impressive forgiveness. They showed it by attending the funeral of Mr. Roberts, a former classmate, and setting up $4 million for the family. There was a lot of press about the story, and many claimed that the Amish had a ‘forgiveness strategy. But in fact, the Amish were forgiving because it was the right thing to do.
The community took to heart the adage that forgiveness is good for everyone. The Amish see no conflict between forgiving a deranged killer and pardoning wayward members. Forgiveness in the Amish schoolhouse wasn’t the first time the community had handled a tragedy like this. They’ve had a 300 to 400-year tradition of responding to wrong in this way.