Fact sheet | Lancaster, PA
Additional facts about Amish schools:
Cooperation, not competition is the main spirit of plain schools
The school years usually starts around September 1 and ends May 1. There is school on Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. so they are done quicker to help on the farm.
The school day usually runs from 9 AM to 3 PM
Students are called scholars
Scholars and the teacher either walk or take a horse & buggy to school
Scholars begin school at age 6 and attend through the 8th grade at around age 14
All scholars bring their own lunch
Grades 1 through 8 are in the same room
Scholars usually do not receive homework because of the chores they have to do at home
Older scholars help younger scholars learn
Basic subjects are stressed: reading, writing, spelling, english, arithmetric - the old fashion method. Other subjects taught are geography, history, penmanship, health, german writing/reading, and singing.
Each school has between 25 to 35 scholars
Scholars and the teacher keep the school clean
Amish men take care of the heavy upkeep of the school
Amish schools accept no local or government funds to support their schools even though the Amish pay the same taxes as the English. The community supports the school
Teachers are usually unmarried and only a couple years older than her/his 8th grade pupils. They usually have no education beyond the 8th grade
Teachers salary varies but is usually around $25 a day
Parents visit the school unannounced
The Amish all male school board meets once a month and has 3 to 5 members
Drinking water is hand pumped
Lanterns provide light except for the Old Order Mennonites which use electricity
Outhouses serve as toilets
Supplies, such as blackboards, needed for the school are purchased from schools that are being torn down
Religion is not taught in the school but a Christian example is expected
In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Amish right to religious liberty in the school
The price of a one room school in the late 1980's was approximately $18,000 plus lots of donated labor. The price covered building, outhouses, shelves, and blackboards. Usual size is 34' x 30' or a total of 1,000 sq. feet. Land is usually donated by an Amish owner.
In 1989 in Lancaster County, there were 4,650 scholars in 156 schools. 103 of those schools were Old Order Amish. 53 schools were Old Order Mennonite.
Late 1980's costs in Lancaster County of Amish versus public schools. Annual per pupil cost of instruction: Amish $200 Public $3,445
Sq ft construction of new school: Amish $18 Public $95
#usa #unitedstates #eastcoastusa #lancasterpa #pennsylvania #amish #amishsettlement #amishschool
Fact sheet | Lancaster, PA
Additional facts about Amish schools:
Cooperation, not competition is the main spirit of plain schools
The school years usually starts around September 1 and ends May 1. There is school on Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. so they are done quicker to help on the farm.
The school day usually runs from 9 AM to 3 PM
Students are called scholars
Scholars and the teacher either walk or take a horse & buggy to school
Scholars begin school at age 6 and attend through the 8th grade at around age 14
All scholars bring their own lunch
Grades 1 through 8 are in the same room
Scholars usually do not receive homework because of the chores they have to do at home
Older scholars help younger scholars learn
Basic subjects are stressed: reading, writing, spelling, english, arithmetric - the old fashion method. Other subjects taught are geography, history, penmanship, health, german writing/reading, and singing.
Each school has between 25 to 35 scholars
Scholars and the teacher keep the school clean
Amish men take care of the heavy upkeep of the school
Amish schools accept no local or government funds to support their schools even though the Amish pay the same taxes as the English. The community supports the school
Teachers are usually unmarried and only a couple years older than her/his 8th grade pupils. They usually have no education beyond the 8th grade
Teachers salary varies but is usually around $25 a day
Parents visit the school unannounced
The Amish all male school board meets once a month and has 3 to 5 members
Drinking water is hand pumped
Lanterns provide light except for the Old Order Mennonites which use electricity
Outhouses serve as toilets
Supplies, such as blackboards, needed for the school are purchased from schools that are being torn down
Religion is not taught in the school but a Christian example is expected
In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Amish right to religious liberty in the school
The price of a one room school in the late 1980's was approximately $18,000 plus lots of donated labor. The price covered building, outhouses, shelves, and blackboards. Usual size is 34' x 30' or a total of 1,000 sq. feet. Land is usually donated by an Amish owner.
In 1989 in Lancaster County, there were 4,650 scholars in 156 schools. 103 of those schools were Old Order Amish. 53 schools were Old Order Mennonite.
Late 1980's costs in Lancaster County of Amish versus public schools. Annual per pupil cost of instruction: Amish $200 Public $3,445
Sq ft construction of new school: Amish $18 Public $95
#usa #unitedstates #eastcoastusa #lancasterpa #pennsylvania #amish #amishsettlement #amishschool