Education Amish life in the modern world

amish schoolhouse in lancaster county, pennsylvania in 1941

the amish not educate children past eighth grade, believing basic knowledge offered point sufficient prepare 1 amish lifestyle. no amish go high school, less college. in many communities, amish operate own schools, typically one-room schoolhouses teachers (young unmarried women) amish community. these schools provide education in many crafts, , therefore eligible vocational education, fulfilling nationwide requirement of education through 10th grade or equivalent.

there amish children go non-amish public schools, schools far away , include small amish population. instance, there have been amish children have attended leesburg elementary school in leesburg, indiana (about 12 mi (19 km) nappanee, indiana), because families lived on edge of school district. in past, there have been major conflicts between amish , outsiders on these matters of local schooling. part, have been resolved, , educational authorities allow amish educate children in own ways.

sometimes, there conflicts between state-mandated minimum age discontinuing schooling, , younger age of children have completed eighth grade. amish claim educating children beyond eighth grade violation of religious beliefs, , so, have been granted exemptions of mandate. in past, in comparisons of standardized test scores of amish students, amish have performed above national average rural public school pupils in spelling, word usage, , arithmetic. performed below national average, however, in vocabulary.

on may 19, 1972, jonas yoder , wallace miller of old order amish, , adin yutzy of conservative amish mennonite church, each fined $5 refusing send children, aged 14 , 15, high school. in wisconsin v. yoder, wisconsin supreme court overturned conviction, , u.s. supreme court affirmed this, finding benefits of universal education not justify violation of free exercise clause of first amendment.

the decision of u.s. supreme court quoted sociology professor john a. hostetler (1918–2001), born amish family, wrote several books amish, hutterites, , old order mennonites, , considered foremost academic authority on amish. donald kraybill, distinguished college professor , senior fellow in young center anabaptist , pietist studies @ elizabethtown college, 1 of active scholars studying amish today.