Quaker Education

Quakerism began in England around 1650. Seeking a more direct and authentic spiritual experience without the intermediary of a hierarchical clergy, George Fox and other founding Quakers were drawn to worship in silence. Embracing the belief that there is that of God in each person, these early Quakers held that through patient listening the Spirit of Truth and Light could illuminate and transform them. This belief in spiritual equality led the Society of Friends to embrace each man and woman's message spoken from the silence and to respect differences.

Given the reliance on each and every person's role as a minister, Friends soon recognized the importance of establishing schools. The founders of early Friends Schools sought to minister to the needs of body, mind, and spirit and to the divine light within each student.

Today, over 325 years later, this same seeking for a balanced education that honors body, mind, and spirit serves as the core philosophy of more than 80 Friends schools in the United States and many more across the world. The Friends Council of Education nurtures the spiritual life of these schools by strengthening the connections among them and fostering Quaker practices.

Meeting for Worship lies at the heart of Quakerism and at the heart of Friends’ Schools. The silent meeting operates without a minister and without program or prearrangement. Waiting in the silence in weekly Meetings for Worship, students and teachers alike listen for spiritual awakenings and inspiration from within or from others. Although this is an activity for which discipline is required, spontaneity and freedom are also vital. Anyone, child or adult, can express a concern, share an insight or make an observation. This simple corporate searching in silence can provide both mental refreshment and spiritual democracy. Young children in Friends’ schools learn to swim in this pool of silence and reflection, strengthening their skills over time.

Children and parents also become increasingly aware of the testimonies that guide the Society of Friends. The idea that there is that of God in everyone is a guiding belief of Quakerism and serves as the foundation of the testimonies of equality, simplicity, peaceful resolution of conflict, social justice, and stewardship of the environment. Quaker schools trust and believe in the essential goodness of each member of the community and strive to nurture a respect for self and others to enable the development of responsible, independent, empathetic individuals. Children will learn to manage their own behavior appropriately and do so for the good of the community. Quaker schools encourage children to believe they can make a difference in the world and solve conflicts peacefully.

At Quaker Schools the values and beliefs of the Society of Friends are integrated into every part of the community and provide the foundation for the spiritual growth of students. They are not a separate curriculum relegated to a particular day or period.

At Quaker elementary schools there are, however, many special projects that nurture the growth of spirituality as part of a sound education. For example, at Sidwell Friends School, third and fourth graders study conflict resolution and are trained to be playground mediators. They explain to 6- and 7-year-olds how to resolve differences by listening [Page 370]carefully to what other people are saying, restating the problem in their own words, and quietly agreeing to solve the problem together. They have class discussions, preceded by silence, when problems arise and book clubs where spiritual values in literature are studied.

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