Quaker Perspectives on Education

Across the English school landscape, schools identify themselves and are identified by a gamut of denominations: specialist school in Music or Science, Catholic, Muslim, faith, free and community, to name a few. There was one factor that each of the schools researched for this book shared, they each identified themselves as a ‘Quaker’ school. This chapter will begin with a brief description of Quaker belief and heritage. How this influenced the founding of Quaker schools will be considered and how they have evolved from schools seeking to ‘guard’ the children of Quakers to becoming pioneers of inclusive practices. Drawing on the work of Quaker scholars (Ambler, 2013; Dandelion, 2007, 2008; Birkel, 2004; Punshon, 1984), several observations will be considered from this history that have relevance to Quaker ideas about education today: a non-hierarchical structure of beliefs; the importance of equality; and the qualities of Quaker worship involving times of silence. Further ideas about education will be discussed through evaluation of the ideas of some influential Quaker educationalists (Brinton, 1949; Lacey, 1998; Dalke & Dixson, 2004), here recognising that many of these relate to Quaker schooling in the USA. Key points from these authors will be used to explore how a school might be considered Quaker and how comparisons with other schools, including those which espouse similar values, may be more problematic to achieve that might be expected.