OEA 301 : FOUNDATIONS OF ADULT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION.

Q. What  do  you  understand  by   non—formal  education ? Discuss   the   features   that  characterize  non—formal  learning  as  opposed  to   formal  learning.

ANSWER

Formal vs. Informal Education/Non formal  education

Formal education is classroom-based, provided by trained teachers. Informal education happens outside the classroom, in after-school programs, community-based organizations, museums, libraries, or at home. What are the main differences between the two? In general, classrooms have the same kids and the same teachers every day. After-school programs are often drop-in, so attendance is inconsistent, as is leadership. Classroom activities can last several days. After-school programs need to complete an activity each day because a different group of kids could be in attendance tomorrow. You can assume that classroom-based teachers have a certain level of training in educational philosophy, effective teaching strategies, classroom management, and content. After-school providers, by contrast, vary in experience and knowledge of teaching techniques, content expertise, and group management. Typically, materials for after-school settings need to include a lot more structure. Teachers need to meet educational standards and stick to a specified curriculum, which can make it difficult for them to incorporate nontraditional content. After-school programs, on the other hand, can be more flexible with their content. Both formal and informal education settings offer different strengths to your educational outreach project. If your project fits in the classroom, it can have a very long life; teachers will use trusted resources for years. After-school programs offer a different kind of environment, where your activities don't need to be as formal and where you can reach a different audience. While both schools and after-school programs serve students, many kids who feel disenfranchised at school blossom in after-school settings. Real learning can happen in a setting where kids feel less intimidated or more comfortable than they do in a formal classroom. The ultimate goal is that their success in an informal setting can lead to greater confidence in the formal classroom. An additional benefit of developing materials for informal educational settings is that they may be useful to parents at home with their kids, or to adult learners who are looking to expand their knowledge, either for their own enrichment or to increase their career options.

Formal education: the hierarchically structured, chronologically graded ‘education system’, running from primary school through the university and including, in addition to general academic studies, a variety of specialised programmes and institutions for full-time technical and professional training.
Informal education: the truly lifelong process whereby every individual acquires attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from daily experience and the educative influences and resources in his or her environment – from family and neighbours, from work and play, from the market place, the library and the mass media.
Non-formal education: any organised educational activity outside the established formal system – whether operating separately or as an important feature of some broader activity – that is intended to serve identifiable learning clienteles and learning objectives.

Fordham (1993) suggests that in the 1970s, four characteristics came be associated with non-formal education:

• Relevance to the needs of disadvantaged groups.
• Concern with specific categories of person.
• A focus on clearly defined purposes.
• Flexibility in organization and methods.

Contrasts between ‘formal’ and ‘non-formal’ programmes

Simkins (1976) analysed non-formal education programme in terms of purposes, timing, content delivery systems and control, and contrasted these with formal educational programmes. The resulting ideal-types provide a useful framework – and bring out the extent to which non-formal education initiatives, while emphasizing flexibility, localness and responsiveness remain located within a curricula form of education (in contrast with those forms driven by conversation).

Ideal-type models of normal and non-formal education

	formal	non-formal
purposes	Long-term & generalCredential-based	Short-term & specificNon-credential-based
timing	long cycle / preparatory / full-time	short cycle / recurrent / part-time
content	standardized / input centredacademic entry requirements determine clientele	individualized / output centredpractical clientele determine entry requirements
delivery system	institution-based, isolated from environment.rigidly structured, teacher-centred and resource intensive	environment-based, community related.flexible, learner-centred and resource saving
control	external / hierarchical	self-governing / democratic

(Adapted by Fordham 1993 from Simkins 1977: 12-15)