Friends Education
The Value of a Quaker School Education
While new to the Bay Area, Friends schools have a 300-year tradition of academic excellence and thoughtful concern for the emotional and spiritual growth of children. Friends schools are much admired for their outstanding academic programs, grounded by strongly-held values. A Friends education recognizes that academics alone do not serve the whole person, but need to be balanced with attention to a child's capacity for independent thought, creativity, and reflection.
The Quaker belief in the "Inner Light" leads to faith in the ability of every member of the school community to reach his or her full potential. Children are encouraged to grow and change in an environment which nurtures their spirits and challenges them to develop inner resources for discipline and achievement. Teachers and peers honor each child's particular strengths and abilities. A cooperative learning environment helps children to build self-esteem and self-awareness.
Quaker education does not seek to inculcate a particular set of beliefs or doctrines; it starts from an open-minded approach to teaching and learning. Just as Quakers believe in acceptance of all and in the goodness of each person, Quaker schools welcome people of all faiths and backgrounds who share values common to Quaker testimonies, such as simplicity, integrity, equality, and peaceful problem-solving.
Friends education is not exclusive to Quakers (most students enrolled in Friends schools around the country are not practicing Quakers), but Friends schools are guided by Quaker faith and practice. Each week, a Friends school community gathers for Meeting for Worship. This is a time for everyone to sit quietly, not in "prayer" in a formalistic sense, but in silent and thoughtful reflection. In this way, students and teachers can open their minds and hearts to larger questions and concerns sometimes overlooked in the busy parts of our lives. Students and teachers are encouraged to speak to the gathered community, when moved to do so.
Weekly meetings are held in age-appropriate ways. For kindergartners, teachers may decide that a 20-minute period of silence is best. For older students, a longer Meeting may help them learn how to sit quietly, listen to their thoughts, seek guidance, and share with others. No student is asked to suppress his or her own faith, but all are asked to observe periods of reflection, a practice which Friends schools have found nourishes the individual spirit and builds strong community.
Finally, Friends schools strive to be socially responsible. Teachers help students to understand issues of social justice, such as respect for differences, nonviolence, and equality under the law. Again, these complex topics are handled in age-appropriate ways. Through service learning and participation in the community, Friends schools are committed to working toward a more caring and just society.
To learn more about Friends Education, visit the Friends Council on Education (FCE) website www.friendscouncil.org
Material from the Friends Council on Education, a national organization of Friends schools, helped us prepare this summary.