Amish Education

The Amish believe strongly in education for all boys and girls through eighth grade. Most traditional US schools go through 12th grade. Most Amish believe that children should be learning their trade and skills to become self sufficient at an early age. Many Amish will work in construction, on the farm, or making quilts, candles, leather goods and much more. They learn attention to detail that makes them sought after to work or produce Amish-made goods at a very early age.

If you drive on any backroad in Holmes or Lancaster County long enough, and you will see one of the most iconic images in Amish Country: the one-room schoolhouse. (With hundreds of Amish schools in both areas, they’re hard to miss!) But what goes on inside those walls is part of what makes the Amish community so unique. While the Amish believe strongly in education, the way they educate their children is vastly different than how most “English” (or non-Amish) schools do it.

One-room Schoolhouse

One-room schools are typically built by the community on donated land. The grounds usually include a softball or baseball field as well as some playground equipment and outhouses. They have no need for the technology that non-Amish schools offer. Their children are very well socialized as they can't become immersed in phones they do not have.

You might think a one-room schoolhouse filled with 30-35 students – most likely all siblings and cousins – is strange. But, prior to the 20th century, that is how everyone attended school. When schools started consolidating into larger buildings located further from students’ homes, the Amish stayed with the one-room schoolhouse. This keeps school more local to the area’s families and community. It also made it easier for students to travel to the school by foot or scooter and today, the bicycle.

Teachers and Curriculum

Amish students attend school from age 6 (1st grade) through 14 or 15 (8th grade). Their teacher is usually an unmarried Amish woman who also has an 8th grade education. She teaches all 8 grades herself, though she might ask older students to help with the younger students. Because it is easier to be a teacher before she is married, teachers are typically between the ages of 18 and 22.

The Amish school day typically starts at 8:30 in the morning by reading a section of the Bible, reciting the Lord’s prayer, and singing some hymns. However, “religion” is not something they teach in school. The Amish community considers religion a responsibility of the students’ parents.

Instead, the Amish stress the basics, such as reading, math, writing, and penmanship. They are also taught some history, geography, social studies, art, and science. Students learn three languages in school, including Pennsylvania Dutch, High German, and English. Each of these classes are designed to help students be successful in their Amish communities, as well as equipped to do business with the outside world.

Part of an Amish student’s education is learning responsibility. Students will often have chores as part of their school requirements. (Also, Amish schools do not have a janitor, so students need to help out.) Daily chore schedules might include cleaning the chalkboards, bringing in firewood, sweeping the floors, emptying the trash can, wiping desks, or checking younger students’ workbooks.

If you plan on visiting Amish Country, then please check out our websites to see places to shop, what to do and wee in Amish areas. We are launcing publicly our websites ShopAmishCountry.com (live now, but being built 4/1/2023) and our new site ShopAmishCountryLancaster.com, which will be live by 4/15/2023.