OLD ORDER AMISH PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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OLD ORDER AMISH PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
D R . MARLOW EDIGER
Truman State University
The Old Order Amish in the societal arena provides a philoso-
phy of education which is unique and worthy of study.
They tetid to have a minimal of problems when making com-
parisons with other sub cultures in society. Drug abuse,
pregnancy among unwed mothers, crime, alcoholism, thievery,
and other forms of anti-social behavior appear to be at a very low
level. This is tiot to say it is a Utopia, since any culture has prob-
lems to solve. Approximately, one fourth of their young people
tend to leave the Old Order Amish community. A more recent
major problem is to determine a vocation other than farming
which traditionally has been a main stay among the Old Order
Amish (OOA). Low farm prices for agricultural crops and live-
stock has forced them to readjust life styles to new jobs and
vocations without sacrificing core values such as a strong fami-
ly life style whereby the mother and father together with their
children are closely bonded in working together as a unit until
the offspring is old enough to secure work independently.
Old Order Amish Education pupils doing seat work.
To meet OOA goals with an eighth
grade education, Amish students are very What do they study?
diligent in school work. In rural Bloom- Young children use the Rod and Staff
field, Iowa there are eight one room Reading series, published at Covington,
wooden school buildings. Seven of these Kentucky. These contain Biblical stories
have two teachers in each school. The such as incidents in the lives of Abraham,
teachers are usually Amish women who isaac, and Jacob, patriarchs in the book of
also have completed eight years of school- Genesis (Old Testament). Along with the
ing with eight months of education being content, phonics, context clues, and syl-
considered as one school year for OOA labication are taught. Comprehension skills
children. Periodically, an Amish young such as reading for facts, directions, and for
man will serve as a teacher. A handicapped a sequence of ideas are stressed.
Amish male has been a teacher in rural Students draw and color art work which
Bloomfield, Iowa for many years. Amish is generally related to Biblical subject mat-
teachers rarely raise their voices at mis- ter. For example, the author has art work
behavior in the classroom. They may be completed by Amish children dealing with
copying assignments for students on the "A city set on a hill cannot be hid"
chalkboard for five to ten minutes and yet (Matthew 5, New Testament). Religious
learners continue to study rather continu- verses appear on the classroom walls such
ously. This has been the case even when the as, "God is not mocked, what so ever a
teacher does not look back to observe man soweth, that shall he also reap." Stu-
422Old Order Amish.../423
dents comprehend these stories well since in this area when compared to others in
in their church services, they have also society.
heard numerous times the deeds and acts Critical and creative thinking as well
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from the pul- as problem solving is not emphasized in
pit. Seventh and eighth grade pupils read school. In everyday farm work Amish
selections from a text containing moral farmers do think critically in assessing
admonitions and beliefs. Thus, selected what to do in farming to increase crop and
writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (See livestock yields on the farm. New
Whicher, 1957) harmonize well with OOA approaches (creative thinking) are also in
thinking such as in the following state- evidence in fanning appreciations. There
ments: are a plethora of problems to be solved
* lean upon thyself. Handwork and when farm machinery beaks down. Since
thdft are definitely two adhered to values. farm machinery is old, break downs are
OOA do not pay into social security, but somewhat common. New spare parts are
even more important is not to receive any not available to be purchased. A local
aid from this source. Social security is blacksmith may then make parts for an
impersonal whereas when OOA assist implement which has broken down. Mod-
each other in times of need, they know ernism is frowned upon if new farm
each other intimately. machines were to be purchased. However,
* trust thyself The Old Order Amish non-Amish farmers are hired to cut farm
are strong believers in God, but at the same crops such as wheat, com, and soybeans.
time, they do accept individual account- Tradition is prized highly and yet work-
ability in the here and now, as well as for ing outside the farm setting has made for
the hereafter. new ways of perception.
* accept the place where divine Prov- Arithmetic is taught with the use of a
idence has placed you. OOA are not to basal textbook. Methods of teaching arith-
question the reasons for nor the circum- metic involve following the text step by
stances of selected events. Thus, for step in showing pupils leamings in numer-
example, if a badly needed family mem- acy. Teachers' manuals are not used here.
ber dies such as a mother, father, brother, Nor are concrete markers used. Abstract
or sister, God is not to be questioned as to leamings and the visuals contained in the
the motive. God is in charge and knows arithmetic textbook, are emphasized in
best, according to Amish philosophy. teaching. Diligent Amish children do help
* self reliance is a key item in Emer- in making for more optimal achievement.
son's and OOA thinking. For completed work, pupils exchange
* non-conformity is important to the papers for checking answers while the
OOA in not accepting societal values. teacher reads the correct answers. Arith-
Emerson stressed nonconformity as a sign metic has strong utilitarian functions in
of being a mature person (Ediger, 1996). society (Hostettler, 1980).
Old Order Amish conform strictly in terms A commercial textbook is used to teach
of dress for their members, but are unique the language arts.424 / Education Vol. 125 No. 3
The mechanics of written work receive store in a rural setting.
careful attention such as proper use of capi- * men being promoted in business to
tol letters, indentation of paragraphs, use managerial positions with an increasingly
of quotation marks, as well as commas and high salary, not typical of traditional Amish
end punctuation marks. Letter writing life styles. This has made a distinction
receives much emphasis since it has prac- between the Factory Amish versus the
tical values in Amish society (Ediger, Earming Amish.
1986). * young women working at restaurants
Science is leamed from practical farm as waitresses.
situations. These learnings include sheet
and gully soil erosion, floods, hail, terrac- Meanwhile, the following remain sta-
ing offields,soil conservation, commercial ble situations in Old Order Amish
and animal fertilizers, tornados, cyclones, societies:
wind velocity, among others (Ediger, * separate parochial schools for Amish
2003). children. There are Amish children, how-
ever, in selected rural areas who attend
school with others having similar values,
The Old Order Amish Defined such as at the Yoder, Kansas Charter
School, Yoder, Kansas.
There are selected generalizations * clothing patterns for Amish
which may be developed pertaining to the women/girls and for men/boys. Men and
OOA. They live in a community of people boys wear blue denim trousers and accom-
with similar/same values, surrounded by panying suspenders together with a dark
others who are outside the fold but may colored shirt. Straw hats are worn when
have goals which are also rural in nature. doing farm work during the warm months.
Thus, the Amish have a long history of Amish women and girls wear long dress-
being a traditional culture. This separates es which go toward the ankles and the
them from others in society. And yet, mod- sleeves go down to the wrists. All dresses
ernization encroaches upon the Amish. have a very high neck line. Prayer caps are
Highways, shopping malls, rural estab- always worn. The dresses are made follow
lishes businesses, and new houses built for a common pattern. All Amish clothing has
non Amish, make it so that separation from plain colors with no stripes and no checks.
the world is increasingly difficult. Blue, brown, dark purple, and black are
Non- farm types of work tends to inte- common acceptable colors.
grate Amish with secular society. Thus, the * Pennsylvania Dutch spoken at home
following situations become increasingly whereas German is the language of the
common for the Amish: church.
* men working on construction crews * horses and carriages used for trans-
in small cities. The crew may be headed by porting people locally whereas hired cars
a member of the Old Order Amish faith. used for distant places such as weddings,
* men working in a factory or small family reunions, and funerals. Bus and trainOld Order Amish.../425
service are also used for distant visitations. References
* eighth grade terminal education for
Amish children in one room school hous- Ediger, Marlow (2003), "Science Learning From
Farming: The Old Order Amish, The Hoosier
es. Outdoor privies are the general rule, Science Teacher, 28 (3), 87-91.
but there are exceptions.
Ediger, Marlow (1997), "Examining the Merits of
* rural living is an ideal, not urban nor Old Order Amish Education," Education, 117
suburban life styles. (3)339- 343.
* the work ethic is strong. But increas- Ediger, Marlow (1986), "Education Among the
ingly, there are Amish who take vacations Amish," Multicultural Education Journal, 4
to such places as the Rockies in Colorado. (2), 4- 9.
More leisure time is wanted by some in Ediger, Marlow (1996), "Ralph Waldo Emerson
order to go fishing and ice skating (Ediger, and the Curriculum," The Progress of Educa-
tion, published in India.
1997).
* local time off from work is stressed Hostettler, John (1980), Amish Society. Third Edi-
tion.Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University.
during weddings, Christmas, Easter holi-
days, Sundays, and funerals. Whicher, Stephen E. Editor, (1957), Selections
from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Boston:
* local churches decide upon specif- Houghton Mifflin Company.
ic rules such as should carriages have hard
rubber or metal enclosures with wooden
spokes on carriages.
* church services are held bi-weekly
in an Amish home or bam. A fellowship
meal for all members follows the service.
* on altemative Sundays, Amish have
a religious service in each home. In the
aftemoon, Amish visitations to homes is
common. Cohesion in the family and in
the community is emphasized strongly.
* young men of draft age serving as
conscientious objectors rather than in the
military.
* the Bible being interpreted literally
with no human reasoning.You can also read
