- The Amish have a primary-school educational system.series object on white - book image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
According to Sociology Central, Amish education is limited to primary schooling. "Amish warn of the 'pagan' philosophy and the intellectual enterprise of 'fallen man'" while avoiding entirely training "associated with self exaltation, pride of position, enjoyment of power and the art of war and violence." According to the PDCVB, Amish schools are church-funded and one room in size. - The Amish study German and English.pen & book image by Joanna Redesiuk from Fotolia.com
The Amish learn both English and German. Their basic studies include reading, writing and practical math (the Amish engage in engineering their own structures and business, both of which require mathematics). Geography is also taught. The schools are normally around 30 students in size and, according to the PDCVB, the teachers are Amish women "chosen by a local school board of parents for their academic ability and commitment to religious values and Amish views." Sociology Central adds that science may be taught at a basic level as pertains to animals, stars and planets, and health can also be introduced to the syllabus. - Amish life is largely defined by farming.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA image by Khylira from Fotolia.com
The Amish only attend school through the eighth grade in part because the in-school setting is only half of what they consider to be necessary education. Farming and making a home are crucial to the simple way of life the Amish lead. After the completion of their schooling, Amish children take part in chores of farm and home in order to learn hands-on vocational skills necessary to the survival of their farming lives. Amish tend to have very large families, and once old enough, the children contribute, either through work or the wages earned through vocational jobs. - Some Amish youth take part in parties and drinking during their rumspringa.party image by HannaSigel from Fotolia.com
Some Amish allow their teens to become knowledgeable in ways of the "outside world" through a tradition known as "rumspringa," which means "running around." According to NPR, in an article entitled "Rumspringa: Amish Teens Venture into Modern Vices," while for some youth the rumspringa may mean a trip to the movies or driving lessons, for others it "is all about sex, parties and fast cars." Teenagers aged 16 and older sometimes leave the guarded communities of their upbringing and date and drink alcohol. The idea behind the rumspringa is offering young adults the choice to continue in the teachings, traditions and lifestyle of the Amish before being baptized into the Church and taking on a life of rigid observation and responsibility.
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