Benefits of a Quaker School Education
A Friends school is a private school that is affiliated with the Quaker religion also called the Religious Society of Friends. There are over 80 Friends schools in the US. Historically, Quakerism was a Christian movement founded in England in the 17th century by George Fox. Since then the religion has undergone some changes, but the basic tenets still remain. Quakerism focuses on the belief that there is an “inner light” within everyone that acts as a guide. Most Quakers believe this light comes from God.
The belief that there is “that of God in everyone” is very influential in the experience of a Quaker education. Individual thinking and spiritual growth is encouraged in all students. Moreover, the belief in the intrinsic value in all people created an emphasis on tolerance of other cultures, religions, races, and sexual orientation. A Friends school community typically relishes its diversity and teaches its students to seek out that diversity throughout their lives.
I am what was affectionately considered a “lifer” of Quaker education. I began my experience at a Friends school in pre-kindergarten at the age of 4 and continued through high school graduation. Despite being raised in a Catholic family and identifying myself as Catholic today, I hold a great esteem for the principles of the Quaker faith to which I was exposed.
One of the ways we encountered the Quaker religion in school was through weekly sessions of “Meeting for Worship.” Because Quakers believe there is “that of God in everyone” they do not believe that individuals require a mediator or clergy member to connect to God. A worship service consists of gathering together and sitting in silent revelation. Occasionally someone is moved to speak and share a message with the group. At school the length of meeting would vary according to the age of the children involved. My experience with Meeting for Worship, while not a wholly religious one, was enlightening. It was a time when I could reflect on the things in my life: school, family, friends and the future. There are so few times when children have the chance to simply sit in silence and think.
Quaker philosophy was also present in other aspects of school life. For example, we were often encourage to come to a consensus about a disagreement rather than take a vote, an exercise that is also practiced in other Quaker organizations. This encouraged us to listen to each other’s opinions and find ways to seek common ground in conflicts. Additionally, there is an emphasis on simplicity in Quakerism that went a long way towards counteracting the draw of materialism so often present in other private school settings.
In hindsight, there are many things that I value in my spirit that I directly attribute at least in part to my experience with Quaker education. If I am tolerant, I know it is because I was taught to look for the light in others. If I am open-minded, I know it is because I was taught to seek revelation for myself. If I am confident, I know it is because I was taught to believe in my own inner light. These and so many other lessons were not forced into me by doctrine or dogma, but quietly seeped into my consciousness through the acceptance of just the one simple thought – that there is “that of God in everyone.”
