NON FORMAL EDUCATION

Non-formal education
Definition

The term “non formal education” and its recognition on a global scale came about in the 1960s, when consolidated
educational institutions had to face an economical crisis and received questions about their lacking ability to adapt
to a new society.

UNESCO held various summits led by expert, Philip H. Coombs, to confront the crisis and propose solutions. This
resulted in the publication of Learning to Be (The Faure Report, UNESCO 1972), where they paved the way to the
future of education.

It wasn’t until 1973 that Philip H. Coombs, Prosser and Ahmed established definitions of formal, informal and non
formal education...They define non-formal education as an organised education activities that are outside the
formally established system. It can work separately or within a larger activity, according to the participants or
learning goals.
Education that is institutionalized, intentional and planned by an education provider. The defining characteristic of
non-formal education is that it is an addition, alternative and/or a complement to formal education within the
process of the lifelong learning of individuals. It is often provided to guarantee the right of access to education for
all. It caters for people of all ages, but does not necessarily apply a continuous pathway-structure; it may be short in
duration and/or low intensity, and it is typically provided in the form of short courses, workshops or seminars. Non-
formal education mostly leads to qualifications that are not recognized as formal qualifications by the relevant
national educational authorities or to no qualifications at all. Non-formal education can cover programmes
contributing to adult and youth literacy and education for out-of-school children, as well as programmes on life
skills, work skills, and social or cultural development.

Non-formal education refers to education that occurs outside the formal school system. Non-formal education is
often used interchangeably with terms such as community education, adult education, lifelong education and
second-chance education. It refers to a wide range of educational initiatives in the community, ranging from home-
based learning to government schemes and community initiatives. It includes accredited courses run by well-
established institutions as well as locally based operations with little funding.

As non-formal education is diverse, this element has many aspects in common with other elements, particularly
Lifelong learning. For the purposes of these guidelines, this element focuses on non-formal education for children
and young people outside the regular school system. However, CBR personnel need to be aware that non-formal
education reinforces marginalization and stigmatization, so if possible it should not be offered as the only
educational option for children with disabilities. Inclusion in a regular school should be prioritized as every child's
right.

While non-formal education is often considered a second-best option to formal education, it should be noted that it
can provide higher-quality education than that available in formal schools. Non-formal education can be
preparatory, supplementary or an excellent alternative (where necessary) to formal schooling for all children.
Non-formal education expresses the core principles that should be at the heart of all good education. Non-formal
education is all of the following.

Relevant to the learner's life and the needs of society, and will be so in the future. Mechanisms for involving
children, parents and local communities as well as educators in deciding the content of what is taught will ensure
that non-formal education is relevant to the needs of communities and draws on local resources and personnel.

There have been existence of three types of education; formal, non-formal and informal. Formal education is
associated with schools and other educational institutions which include colleges, universities, community colleges
and other educational centers which focus upon particular areas such as technology, business, management etc.
Formal education comprises of a hierarchically structured, chronologically graded educational system functioning
from primary school to the university and includes in addition general academic studies and a variety of specialized
programs and courses that aim at the full time professional training and development of the individual. Another
type of education is non-formal education, this type of education normally takes place outside the formal system of
education with the main purpose of developing the skills and aptitudes of the individuals that are required for their
day to day existence; it is considered to be more flexible and learner centered. Third type of education is informal
education, this type of education deals with the everyday experiences which are not planned or organized, in other
words, it is also termed as incidental learning; when the day to day experiences are explained to the individuals by
their teachers, mentors, guides or bosses then they constitute informal education. Formal education takes place
within the classrooms, non-formal education takes place within the organizations and associations where the
problems faced are less and there are many opportunities and choices available for the people and informal
education takes place when a young child learns to speak and interact with the people around him. In this research
paper, attempt has been made to understand the meaning and significance of non-formal education, the main
areas that have been highlighted are understanding non-formal education, the advancement of non-formal
education, significance of non-formal education, types of non-formal education, and implementation of non-formal
education. The main focus of understanding various aspects of non-formal education is to recognize that how it has
proved beneficial to the individuals and communities for their effective development. Keywords: Non-Formal
Education, Students, Development, Educational Institutions, Personal Development, ProfessionalUnderstanding
Non-Formal EducationNon formal (NFE) has been defined as any intended, deliberate and a systematic educational
enterprise that is regularly outside the system of traditional schooling in which the curriculum and the instructional
systems are organized in such a manner that they get easily adjusted to the exceptional requirements and needs of
the students or may be beneficial in case of unique situations and occurrences with the main motive of maximizing
learning and minimizing other aspects which often engage formal school teachers such as taking the roll,
implementing discipline, writing reports, supervising the study and the examination rooms, etc. Non formal
education focuses more upon the learners as compared to most of the formal education. Learners can leave
anytime when they do not feel motivated or this education may not be beneficial to them, they are independent to
withdraw from the non-formal education programs (Etllng, 1993). NFE tends to put emphasis upon the cafeteria
curriculum, options, and selections rather than the recommended, chronological curriculum that have been
instituted in other educational institutions. In NFE, the relationships between the individuals are more informal, for
instance, the roles of teachers and students are less unyielding and often change than in schools where student-
teacher and teacher-administrator roles are hierarchical and rarely change during the short term period. NFE mainly
centers upon the development of the realistic and practical skills and knowledge while schools often focus on
knowledge which may not be applicable immediately. Generally NFE has a lower level of organization and
arrangement and therefore, it has more suppleness as compared to schools and other formal educational
institutions (Etllng, 1993).Non-Formal Education is an organized educational activity outside the established formal
education system. It caters to a wide range of population and has set learning objectives for them. Where formal
education is linked with schools and other institutions, on the other hand, non-formal education relies heavily on
community groups and other organizations. Informal education is actually the effect of the environment
surrounding the person. It affects the personality of the individual (Chadha, 2009). Non formal education is simply
an organized activity which is external to the school and the college mainstream; there have been four forms of
Non-formal education (NFE) and these can be distinguished by reference to their relationship with the formal
school and college system. These are paranormal education, popular education, education for person

understanding non-formal education, the advancement of non-formal education, significance of non-formal

education, types of non-formal education, and implementation of non-formal education. The main focus of
understanding various aspects of non-formal education is to recognize that how it has proved beneficial to the
individuals and communities for their effective development. Keywords: Non-Formal Education, Students,
Development, Educational Institutions, Personal Development, ProfessionalUnderstanding Non-Formal
EducationNon formal (NFE) has been defined as any intended, deliberate and a systematic educational enterprise
that is regularly outside the system of traditional schooling in which the curriculum and the instructional systems
are organized in such a manner that they get easily adjusted to the exceptional requirements and needs of the
students or may be beneficial in case of unique situations and occurrences with the main motive of maximizing
learning and minimizing other aspects which often engage formal school teachers such as taking the roll,
implementing discipline, writing reports, supervising the study and the examination rooms, etc. Non formal
education focuses more upon the learners as compared to most of the formal education. Learners can leave
anytime when they do not feel motivated or this education may not be beneficial to them, they are independent to
withdraw from the non-formal education programs (Etllng, 1993). NFE tends to put emphasis upon the cafeteria
curriculum, options, and selections rather than the recommended, chronological curriculum that have been
instituted in other educational institutions. In NFE, the relationships between the individuals are more informal, for
instance, the roles of teachers and students are less unyielding and often change than in schools where student-
teacher and teacher-administrator roles are hierarchical and rarely change during the short term
period. NFE mainly centers upon the development of the realistic and practical skills and knowledge while schools
often focus on knowledge which may not be applicable immediately. Generally NFE has a lower level of
organization and arrangement and therefore, it has more suppleness as compared to schools and other formal
educational institutions (Etllng, 1993).Non-Formal Education is an organized educational activity outside the
established formal education system. It caters to a wide range of population and has set learning objectives for
them. Where formal education is linked with schools and other institutions, on the other hand, non-formal
education relies heavily on community groups and other organizations. Informal education is actually the effect of
the environment surrounding the person. It affects the personality of the individual (Chadha, 2009). Non formal
education is simply an organized activity which is external to the school and the college mainstream; there have
been four forms of Non-formal education (NFE) and these can be distinguished by reference to their relationship
with the formal school and college system. These are paranormal education, popular education, education for
personal development and professional training (Carron & Carr-Hill, 1991). One of the important types of non-
formal education is associated with child development and learning, early childhood care and education (ECCE) is
considered to be one of the kinds of non-formal education. There has been establishment of many preschools and
kindergartens in urban and rural areas that have made provision of ECCE. Early childhood care and education tend
to be provided by the parents and the other community groups as well; in the development of young children not
just the educators of the preschools, but also other community members participate and render their
wholehearted contribution.
The term non-formal education has been instigated to take into account education and training initiatives regarding
different areas such as the provision of extension services to the farmers, agricultural laborers, industrial workers,
HIV/AIDS, community colleges, functional literacy programs, programs for street children, entrepreneurship
development programs, empowerment of the individuals, language classes, multimedia community development
centers, youth skills development projects, self-therapy groups, heritage centers, evening classes, computer
courses, environmental awareness groups, job-oriented courses for teachers and educators and technology related
courses that may lead to development of employment opportunities (Hoppers, 2006). The Advancement of Non-
Formal EducationNon-formal education is the kind of education that an individual acquires through different kinds
of organizations, associations and community groups. The needs and the requirements of the individuals are
extremely broad and comprehensive; it was realized that the global development of people is an extremely
intricate matter and greater diversity of strategies were used to address the needs of the people. Concerns emerged
amongst the people and they began to realize the significance of education and knowledge; policy makers and
development experts expressed their concerns regarding the advancement and progress of education within the
country; areas such as food production, health needs and political participation became important and in order to
fulfill these requirements a person could not wait till he has completed his formal education, therefore, the
development of short term educational programs came into existence that made an endeavor to lead to
transformations and achievements in the lives of the individuals. The main purpose of non-formal education was to
raise the economic and the social levels of large number of individuals belonging to different categories who have
never acquired the opportunity to attend any educational institutions or training centers and to enhance their
educational skills (Hoppers, 2006).The non-formal education has the potential of reaching the mass population; it
was determinedly connected to the specific contents and organized as small discrete units. In the field of education,
non-formal education has now become a separate sub-system that has the main aim of developing the skills,
awareness and the aptitude of the people. Any kinds of problems, difficulties, inadequacies or oppositions
experienced in the field of education are solved by the provision of non-formal education. Non-formal education
provides an equivalent of regular school subjects and skills that may lead to the benefits of the deprived individuals
and the individuals belonging to socio-economically backward sections of the society. The similar kinds of
attributes, features and traits have been part of non-formal education as the formal education. The main objective
of non-formal education is the same as formal education that is to lead to wisdom, accomplishment and
development amongst the individuals (Hoppers, 2006). Significance of Non-Formal EducationNon-formal education
is regarded to be a better concept to meet the individual requirements of the students. According to an organized
and a systematic analysis of the main attributes of non-formal education, diversely from formal schooling,
illustrates that contributors are led to non-formal programs because these recommend the knowledge and the
proficiency that they attempt to acquire and the essential support for the enhanced understanding of their own
selves and of their world. It is regarded as unnatural if the education offered by schools is without any significance
for a student’s life and does not succeed in preparing him in dealing with the day to day problems, then the
outcome would be that he will simply decline his participation within the programs and may finally withdraw or,
the educational programs should be framed in such a manner that they may lead to the benefit of the students. As
non-formal education is centered upon the development of the students, it therefore, makes available flexible
characteristics as regards the primarily instituted and implemented processes, goals and substances. It is therefore
vital to respond to the expression of the transformations that may affect the requirements of the students and of
the community (Zaki Dib, 1987).With foundation on these beginning concerns one may effortlessly terminate that
the non-formal education includes an extensive diversity of the educational systems bestowed with traits
that either lead them towards or away from the instituted formal systems. Thus, one may conclude the
subsistence of a certain degree of continuity linkage with the formal and the non-formal education. This view is
not limited to a simply academic interest because; it is an enormously objective and a realistic one in the
search for substitute explanations and solutions to the educational problems experienced by the individuals. Given
its scope, non-formal education is included of a sufficient multiplicity of educational situations, most of which
have contributed a significant part in the revitalization of the educational systems and the curriculum and
the instructional methods, techniques and procedures. Under the concept of non-formal education, analysis
has been conducted of three educative processes, these are namely, correspondence learning, distance learning
and open systems, which, because of their characteristics are included within the area of non-formal education
(Zaki Dib, 1987).

TYPES OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

There has been classification of four types of non-formal education (Carron & Carr-Hill, 1991).
Paranormal Education - The first important area is arranged of all kinds of educational programs which make
available an alternate for regular full-time schooling. The main purpose of these courses is to offer a second chance
to those who, for various causes, could not take advantage from the regular school system at the established
moment. The region comprises of a variety of types of evening classes, official literacy programs, distance education
programs, and so forth. Some of these programs are only in a concentrated form of full-time day schooling, while
others are suppler and more pioneering in devising and accomplishment. A central matter for this section of the
educational field is to assure equalities with the degrees awarded in the equivalent levels of the formal school
system.

Popular Education - At the other extreme of the educational field, one finds a whole range of actions that
unambiguously try to situate detached from the formal school system if not to be against the basic standards of its
implementation. The essential part of this division of the educational field are the education schemes which are
unambiguously undeviating towards the marginal groups of the population and include substitutes of the adult
literacy projects, supportive training, political mobilization and community development movements. In most
cases, these movements and actions are run by voluntary organizations and emphasize upon the collective
development as go up against the individual competition. They are the smallest amount of institutionalized sector
of the comprehensive educational field. They take the form of informal groups, often related to churches, political
parties and socio-cultural associations. In a few cases they are supported by national or local governments.

Personal Development Activities - The speedy growth of personal development activities is one of the most
noteworthy widespread movements in the diversification of the educational field. Learning for personal
development principles regroups a broad diversity of activities which may differ amongst the individuals, because
every person possesses a different nature and an outlook. Personal development activities and practices are
categorized by educational and artistic institutions such as museums, libraries, cultural centers, by clubs, social
circles, organizations, associations promoting leisure time activities such as astronomy, observation of the natural
environment, playing music and or listening to it, extra curricular activities, handicrafts, artworks, sports, dance,
physical activities etc., by sports centers, by language institutions or even by centers of physical and mental health.
If the learning of languages, which may be part of professional learning, is included, the segment of personal
development activities is considered to be as important as the sector of professional learning. Professional Training
- The various non-formal programs of professional and vocational training organized by firms, trade unions, private
agencies and also formal schools constitute the fourth important segment of the diversified educational field. There
have been many courses and programs that aim at the professional development of the individual; the professional
development of a person takes place in various fields and areas such as medical, business, management,
administrative, technology, education, arts, science and so forth. An individual who aims to become a teacher gets
enrolled into the teachers training program that is considered to be a professional training. Some of the areas that
comprise of non-formal education include artistic, agriculture, crafts, health assistants, commercial and
administrative, communications, building arts, academic support, home economics, gymnastics and aesthetics,
foreign language preschool, technical, clerical, managerial, human relations, sociology and psychology and
advertising and public relations.

Implementation of Non-Formal Education-Non-formal education makes available to the young and middle aged
people the possibility to develop their values, skills and competencies that are different than the ones developed
within the structure of formal education. The skills that are also termed as soft skills comprise of a broad range of
competencies such as interpersonal, group, organizational and conflict resolution, intercultural awareness,
leadership, planning, organizing, controlling, directing, co-ordination and practical problem solving skills,
teamwork, self-confidence, discipline and responsibility. What is exceptional about non-formal education is that
individuals, participants and the contributors are the people that are enthusiastically occupied in the education and
learning process. The techniques and the processes that are being utilized have the main objective of providing the
people with the equipment and the mechanism to further develop their skills, awareness, knowledge and attitudes.
Learning is the continuous process, one of the critical features of non-formal learning is learning by doing. The
process of non-formal learning is a distributed and a designed approach and it contributes in the development and
creation of an environment in which the learner himself is the designer of his skills (Noumiko, 2006). Non- formal
learning on the other hand is a procedure and there are certain differences between non-formal learning and non-
formal education and therefore these can occur in various situations, backgrounds and environments. Youth
organizations make available non-formal learning through their courses; the experiences and occurrences that take
place through non-formal learning can be organized simultaneously within the employment setting. It is vital to
recognize that individual skills attained through participation within the youth organizations are not only connected
to the employment prospects, but they have a say in the development of human attributes, capacities,
competencies and motivations. These kinds of skills and attributes contribute more directly to a general motivation
for learning rather than to definite assignments and responsibilities that are concerned with the personal
development of the individual. There is a slight indicator between these learning experiences; nevertheless and it is
vital to summarize the main areas and concepts of learning provided through involvement within the youth
organizations and their programs, plans and courses (Noumiko, 2006).

Discussion:Non-Formal Education refers to any planned program of personal and social education for the young
people that is designed to enhance the range of skills, abilities, aptitudes and competencies, outside the formal
educational curriculum and institution. Non-formal education is practiced by many youth organizations and
associations; the main features of non-formal education are, it is voluntary, it is preferably accessible to everybody,
it is an organized process with educational objectives, it is participatory and learner centered, it focuses upon the
learning and improvement of life skills and active citizenship, it is based upon the involvement of both individual
and group learning with a collective approach, it is holistic and process oriented, it is based upon experience and
action and instigates from the requirements of the participants. Learning takes place throughout the life of an
individual and is regarded to be a continuous process, learning involves understanding and enhancement of skills, if
an individual does not make an effort to enhance his skills and aptitudes then learning will not take place in an
effective manner; therefore, the significance of non-formal education is understood as contributing towards the
development of abilities and skills of the individuals and of the community at large.

There have been four main types of non-formal education, the paranormal education, popular education, personal
development activities and professional training; non-formal education is viewed as more positive, supple and
efficient. Non-formal education has become more important in order to develop effective and flexible ways of
recognition of the skills and aptitudes which are external to the formal education systems. Acknowledgment of a
right balance in a set of equipments which assure appropriate and satisfying solutions for certification and
recognition, in accordance with the development of quality standards, self evaluation and assessment procedures
for non-formal education is considered to be a susceptible job. In the case of non-formal education, there are three
main steps that have to be understood these are self-awareness, establishment of goals and implementing action.
Individuals get enrolled in non-formal education programs on the basis of their interests and enthusiasm; if they
feel that there certain areas that they need to improve upon then they get enrolled in non-formal educational
programs. Non-formal education has been related to various fields such as technology, business, management,
administrative, arts, sciences, and so forth. Food production is an essential requirement for all the individuals and
preparation of food is also considered to be a skill, there are some individuals who do not possess the skills of food
preparation and they have to learn this skill from others; other people can be their family members, relatives,
friends, teachers, guides, trainers or other community members. They either enhance this skill at home or join a
training institute and getting enrolled within the institution is optional and the students themselves are entitled to
make a decision regarding the items that they want to select; this is an example of non-formal education. Non-
formal education is acquired with an objective or a goal, it is planned, it has a flexible procedure, mistakes are
permitted, realized and are being worked upon, group participation is considered to be equally important and it is
considered to be similarly imperative as the formal education and leads to the development of knowledge, skills
and aptitudes of an individual; provided, the implementation of non formal education should take place in a well-
organized manner.
Appropriate to the level of the learner's development, with new content and experiences being introduced when
the learner is ready. Teaching is learner-centred and student-directed.

Flexible in what is taught and how it is taught, and to the needs of the different learners, e.g. adults and children
who work, who live on the street, who are sick, who are in prison, who have a disability or who are victims of
conflict or emergency, and flexible to traditional/indigenous learning styles.

Participatory in that learners are active participants in their learning, and that they and their families and
communities are involved in running the non-formal education programme.

Protective of children from harm, and protective of their rights to survival and development. Places of non-formal
education should be healthy and safe, and provide proper nutrition, sanitation and protection from harm.

Inclusive of all children regardless of background or ability, respecting and utilizing the differences between them as
a resource for teaching and learning. Non-formal education often targets marginalized groups, e.g. nomadic
communities, girls, people with disabilities, school dropouts and working children. For students with disabilities
and other marginalized groups, non-formal education is very helpful, responding to and fitting their needs.

Quality: non-formal education programmes have the potential to be of exceptionally high quality, because they can
respond more easily to the needs of individuals and specific groups in the community.
Community-based non-formal education initiatives
These may include nongovernmental organizations carrying out various development or awareness activities,
faith-based schools, creches or day care centres, schools to promote girls' education and schools for older children
with disabilities (who were not identified early or included in primary education), formal school dropouts and
working children. CBR programmes can identify the different forms of community-based non-formal education
initiatives available and facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities, including children.

Characteristics and importance of non-formal education

Non formal education isn’t a replacement to formal education, which is key and fundamental to the growth of the
person, however, it can compliment it by covering needs or certain aspects that the regulated institution lack.

UNESCO, for example, emphasises the flexibility of non formal education and how it allows for more personalised
learning to be developed for each person. In fact, this would be the most ideal model for them.

It is important because it's open to any age, origin and personal interest. Moreover, it’s a relatively voluntary type
of education, with diverse teaching methods and its end goal isn’t a degree, but rather pure learning.

Non-formal education became part of the international discourse on education policy in the late 1960s and early
1970s. It can be seen as related to the concepts of recurrent and lifelong learning. Tight (1996: 68) suggests that
whereas the latter concepts have to do with the extension of education and learning throughout life, non-formal
education is about ‘acknowledging the importance of education, learning and training which takes place outside
recognized educational institutions’. 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.
In many northern countries the notion of non-formal education is not common in internal policy debates –
preferred alternatives being community education and community learning, informal education and social
pedagogy.

The idea of non-formal education

As Fordham (1993) relates, in 1967 at an international conference in Williamsburg USA, ideas were set out for what
was to become a widely read analysis of the growing ‘world educational crisis’ (Coombs 1968). There was concern
about unsuitable curricula; a realization that educational growth and economic growth were not necessarily in step,
and that jobs did not emerge directly as a result of educational inputs. Many countries were finding it difficult
(politically or economically) to pay for the expansion of formal education.
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).

The conclusion was that formal educational systems had adapted too slowly to the socio-economic changes around
them and that they were held back not only by their own conservatism, but also by the inertia of societies
themselves. If we also accept that educational policy making tends to follow rather than lead other social trends,
then it followed that change would have to come not merely from within formal schooling, but from the wider
society and from other sectors within it. It was from this point of departure that planners and economists in the
World Bank began to make a distinction between informal, non-formal and formal education. (Fordham 1993: 2)

At around the same time there were moves in UNESCO toward lifelong education and notions of ‘the learning
society‘ which culminated in Learning to Be (‘The Faure Report’, UNESCO 1972). Lifelong learning was to be the
‘master concept’ that should shape educational systems (UNESCO 1972:182). What emerged was an influential
tripartite categorization of learning systems. It’s best known statement comes from the work of Combs with Prosser
and Ahmed (1973):

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.

The distinction made is largely administrative. Formal education is linked with schools and training institutions;
non-formal with community groups and other organizations; and informal covers what is left, e.g. interactions with
friends, family and work colleagues. (See, for example, Coombs and Ahmed 1974). The problem with this is that
people often organize educational events as part of their everyday experience and so the lines blur rapidly. As
Fordham (1993) comments, these definitions do not imply hard and fast categories. In particular, there may well be
some overlap (and confusion) between the informal and the non-formal.

Just how helpful a focus on administrative setting or institutional sponsorship is a matter of some debate. Once we
recognize that a considerable amount of education happens beyond the school wall it may be that a simple division
between formal and informal education will suffice. It has certainly been the argument of Jeffs and Smith (1990)
that the notion of non-formal education has limited use when thinking about process.

The range of initiatives and programmes that have adopted the title ‘non-formal’ are many and various. They
include literacy and basic education for adults and young people, political and trade union education, ‘catching-up’
programmes for school drop outs, pre-school education for young children, political and trade union education and
various kinds of educational work linked with development initiatives including agricultural extension and training
programmes and health education. They also shade over into various examples of both state and private vocational
training programmes. The McGivney and Murray (1992) collection Adult Education in Development gives a good
feel of the sorts of initiatives this might include. They look particularly at health education, literacy, rural
development and the role of women in development. However, it can be confusing to use terms like adult
education in the context of Southern education – given the age distribution of populations and the large numbers
of young people involved in non-formal programmes.

What is also apparent from the literature is that it was politically useful to use a term like non-formal education. As
Shukla (1985) has argued by the mid 1960s it was becoming clear that an education system based around schooling
could not be sustained because of the sheer cost to already fragile economies. A search for ‘new’ techniques was
therefore on. Second, within the north it was becoming clear that the school was only one amongst many potential
educative elements. Concepts such as ‘the learning society‘ were gaining some currency. Third, there was the
impact of movements such as that of deschooling (after Illich).

These were essentially ‘western’ concerns. At the same time a number of socialist countries initiated large
programmes for changing the consciousness, skills and organizations of their populations. They typically used many
of the forms that we now label as non-formal education:

Specially trained educators (maybe for 4 or 5 weeks) (not teachers) sent out to local villages etc to set up and run
programmes and recruit further helpers and group members.

The use of mass media such as radio and television, things like newsheets and comics.

Provision on a mass scale – a whole region or country is targeted.

Sometimes formal, sometimes informal sanctions against those who did not participate.

Many of these programmes apparently met with considerable success. In this respect Russia, Cuba, Tanzania,
Somalia, Ethiopia and Nicaragua were often quoted as having organised successful mass campaigns – particularly in
respect of literacy (Coles 1987: 38).

By the mid 1970s a number of non-socialist countries were beginning to turn to the idea of mass non-formal
education. It was clear that there remained a large scale and apparently growing problem of illiteracy. It was also
clear that economic and social development depended on bringing about changes in many people’s thinking.

The development process is in fact an educational process, or rather it should unfailingly be viewed as such. We
cannot therefore conceive of development in the absence of education any more than education in the absence of
development. (Faundez 1988 quoted by McGivney & Murray 1991: 10)

How, for example, were people to learn to plant new crops or varieties or to farm in ways that might increase
production?

Benefits of non formal education can be summarised as follows:

Helps grow and mature, on a personal level, as well as within society. In many cases, teamwork or coexisting, can
play an important role.
By developing the skills of each individual, you boost their self-esteem.
The capacity to learn and discover on your own develops a healthy critical attitude of your surroundings, social
norms and power mechanisms.
Boosts job placement opportunities and encourages self-employment.

Examples of Non-formal Education

Boy Scouts and Girls Guides develop some sports program such as swimming comes under nonformal education.
Fitness programs.
Community-based adult education courses.
Free courses for adult education developed by some organization.

In conclusion
The notion of non-formal education has been a significant feature of policy debates around education in southern
countries for three decades. It has drawn attention to the importance and potential of education, learning and
training that takes place outside recognized educational institutions. There are questions about usefulness of the
notion when looking at the process of education. It has also gone in and out of fashion. Fordham (1993) comments
that if we try to correlate the flourishing of non-formal education and political change then the 1970s can certainly
be described as the decade of non-formal education (Rubenson 1982).

References.
Sterling Publisher-1987; Non-Formal Education 131Pages.

Maria Montessori-1958; Complete Montessori Method Of Education.

Ghana University Press-2005; Non-Formal Education.

Alan Rogers-2004; Non-Formal Education.

www.nationalopenuniversitye-library.org.ng.