Page 45 - Spring2020

Personally, I found the law outrageous on New York alone, with many more in other areas The vaccine
many levels—raising concerns about health, of the state. law puts
3
personal and parental autonomy, and religious Crucially, Mennonite schools do not ac-
freedom—but it was now the law. What was I cept government funds. This means that they school
going to say to my caller, a man I’ll call “Amos are currently not subject to the government’s administrators
Weaver”? I said the only thing I could, which education regulations and oversight, such as in the
was that I had no answers for him but would do those pertaining to curriculum requirements.
whatever I could to help him find a way forward. As we will see, however, the vaccine law poses position of
And thus began a most interesting journey. a potential threat to that independence. ensuring
Although it might seem like a straightfor- What options are open to Mr. Weaver’s compliance
ward decision—vaccinate or don’t vaccinate— school? One possibility would be simply to
my conversations with Mr. Weaver soon began comply with the law and require vaccinations with the

to reveal layers of complexity in the situation, for all children who attend the school. However, law in their
and I became fascinated by the interlocking the vaccine law has an interesting twist, putting schools.
issues involved. Whereas state government is school administrators in the position of ensur-
large and the across-the-board vaccine law it ing compliance with the law in their schools.
is imposing is impersonal, Mr. Weaver’s Men- That would mean that Mr. Weaver and his col-
nonite community is small and makes decisions leagues would be in charge of making sure their
following thoughtful discussion within the neighbors and fellow church members vaccinate
group. Let’s look at three issues raised by this their children—even those who have moral or
law through the lens of this small Mennonite health-related objections to vaccines. As Mr.
community. Weaver said, “We’re not going to force anyone
to do something they don’t want to do.”
MENNONITE SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION A second option would be to homeschool
Amish and Mennonite schools are vastly the children, and at first glance, this seems to
different from the schools most Americans are be the most logical choice. Because many Men-
familiar with. Rural Mennonite schools are typi- nonite families farm or have small businesses
cally one-room structures. The school for which close to home, teaching children at home could
Mr. Weaver serves as a school board member be quite feasible. But when I spoke with Mr.
has twenty-five students of various grade levels. Weaver, he was very clear that having students
There are no laptops or screens in these schools, attend the Mennonite schools is the preferred
but there is solid education in the basics, such as choice. When I asked why, the answer took me
reading, writing and arithmetic. The education by surprise. “Because,” he said, “being in school
is primarily focused on the practical skills and gives the children an opportunity to relate to a
knowledge that most of the students will need different authority.”
when they engage in future activities such as I admitted to being mystified by that re-
farming and small business. sponse and asked him to elaborate. He explained
Because Mennonite families are frequently that in life, we all need to learn how to navigate
large, the students in one school may be drawn various levels of authority. At home, children
from just four or five families. Schools are often learn to relate to their parents’ authority, but at
located on back roads or farm paths and can be school they have the opportunity to relate to a
hard to recognize and difficult for an outsider to different authority. This learning process con-
find. Because of that, estimates of the number tinues throughout life. Homeschooling would
of Amish and Mennonite schools in New York deprive students from engaging in this process
State vary. Some Internet sources suggest that at school. (I doubt that our public-school teach-
there are between twenty-five and twenty-nine ers and administrators have ever entertained
Mennonite schools and forty-five Amish schools such an idea, but perhaps they should!) Home-
in the entire state, but Mr. Weaver’s (likely schooling would also limit social interaction and
2
more realistic) estimate is a combined total of lead to greater government scrutiny of teachers
fifty Amish and Mennonite schools in central and grades.

SPRING 2020 Wise Traditions 45