The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and Education

Education is incredibly important to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and its members. Our community values quality education. Members of the Plymouth Brethren believe learning is a lifelong journey.

Parents in the Plymouth Brethren community are highly engaged with their child’s learning and seek to instil a love of learning from an early age. This love of learning is recognised by both teachers from OneSchool Global and those that teach at other schools attended by Plymouth Brethren.

If you would like to learn more, below are some answers to the most common questions about Plymouth Brethren education and schools.

What are Plymouth Brethren schools? 

While the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church highly values education, the Church does not run any schools.

In the earlier years of education (K-3), Plymouth Brethren children attend government-run local schools.

After Year Three, Plymouth Brethren children usually attend OneSchool Global. OneSchool Global is an independent school network with campuses located all over the world.

Teachers at OneSchool Global are employed from outside the Plymouth Brethren community and come from a diverse range of backgrounds and beliefs.

At school, Plymouth Brethren children are taught the subjects as required by the local curriculum. Additionally, they are also encouraged to learn independently about subjects they are particularly interested in, ranging from science, history, maths, English, the arts, business studies and everything in between.

Plymouth Brethren children are not taught religion at school beyond what is included in the local curriculum. Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and our members share the belief religion should be taught exclusively at church and at home.

Children from the Plymouth Brethren community are encouraged to do their best, as well as what is the best for the people around them, both at home and at school. They are also enthusiastic when it comes to charity work, in particular fundraising for charitable causes and organisations.

Are Plymouth Brethren children homeschooled? 

Children from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church usually attend government-run, local schools until they complete Year 2. From Years Three to 12 (or 13, depending on the country), they usually attend OneSchool Global.

OneSchool Global is attended by Plymouth Brethren students across the world, with more than 120 campuses in Australia, New Zealand, North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Argentina and the Caribbean.

In some cases, Plymouth Brethren families may choose to homeschool their children – but like any other family, that decision would be up to the individual family and would depend on their individual circumstances.

Can the Plymouth Brethren attend university?

We believe learning is a lifelong journey, and many members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church engage in further education beyond school, including university by correspondence.

Plymouth Brethren students who undertake further study often choose to do so through online university or other tertiary courses, or with other registered training organisations. Some of these courses include accounting and management. We strongly believe that you should earn and learn at the same time – it’s a win-win.

Plymouth Brethren Christian Church members are not encouraged to attend on-campus tertiary education, as it is not compatible with our lifestyle. You can read more about our lifestyle, including our beliefs when it comes to sharing meals, here.