Friends have long been creative innovators in educational thought and practice. Yet, many now question whether the Quaker tradition has anything to say to the needs of contemporary students and to the problems educators face. Others assert many Friends schools are Quaker only in name. Some say Friends should not remain in education, particularly when it is not clear how a Friends school differs distinctively from other types of schools. I too have been skeptical about the value of Friends schools as such. But experience with both public and Friends schools in the past several years and the results of intensive studies of a Quaker college have convinced me that the educational Weltanschauung of Friends is more relevant to today's needs than it has been for many years. However, our lack of clarity about both the needs of young people and the wisdom contained in our own religious tradition is hindering the realization of the educable power latent within our tradition. My concern is that Friends schools and colleges, succumbing to the forces of a seductive culture, may, in the very act of abandoning their identities as Quaker schools, lose their power to educate for the needs of today.
Friends have long been creative innovators in educational thought and practice. Yet, many now question whether the Quaker tradition has anything to say to the needs of contemporary students and to the problems educators face. Others assert many Friends schools are Quaker only in name. Some say Friends should not remain in education, particularly when it is not clear how a Friends school differs distinctively from other types of schools. I too have been skeptical about the value of Friends schools as such. But experience with both public and Friends schools in the past several years and the results of intensive studies of a Quaker college have convinced me that the educational Weltanschauung of Friends is more relevant to today's needs than it has been for many years. However, our lack of clarity about both the needs of young people and the wisdom contained in our own religious tradition is hindering the realization of the educable power latent within our tradition. My concern is that Friends schools and colleges, succumbing to the forces of a seductive culture, may, in the very act of abandoning their identities as Quaker schools, lose their power to educate for the needs of today.
Barnes & Noble is the world’s largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. Our Nook Digital business offers a lineup of NOOK® tablets and e-Readers and an expansive collection of digital reading content through the NOOK Store®. Barnes & Noble’s mission is to operate the best omni-channel specialty retail business in America, helping both our customers and booksellers reach their aspirations, while being a credit to the communities we serve.
