ALTERNATIVES IN EDUCATION

Education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills
and values from one generation to another. It could through a formal educational setup, by mere
observance or via quasi formal or non formal means.
Education in its widest sense indicates ways in which people learn skills and gain knowledge,
information and understanding. It can be divided into various ways of learning namely - formal,
informal and non-formal or quasi formal.
Formal education refers to instruction given in formalized structures like schools and day care
centres. In many nations, people enter a system of formal education during their early childhood.
In this form of education, the people in charge of a school decide what is to be taught and children
then study those things under the direction of teachers.

Learners are expected to come to school regularly and punctually, work at the same speed as their
classmates and to give tests to show how well they have learned and progressed. At the end of the
year, successful students move up to the next level--that is, to the next standard, class or grade. In
the end, they may earn a diploma, a certificate or degree as a mark of their success over the years.

Informal education, on the other hand, involves people learning while they go about their daily
lives. For example, young children learn new words simply by hearing others speak and by trying
to speak themselves. In the same manner, they learn to dress themselves, eat with civil manners,
ride a car, make a telephone call or operate a computer or a television set.

When people try to find out information or to gain skills on their own initiative without a teacher,
this is also a part of informal education. For this, they may visit a book shop, library, village,
cinema or museum. They may watch a television show or a videotape or listen to a radio
programme. They do not have to pass tests. There are many other ways to learn such education
like on the job learning.

Non-formal education belongs somewhere between the formal and informal types. As in formal
education, people using non-formal methods adopt planned and organised camps. But the
education procedures are less tightly controlled than those of formal systems of schooling.

For example, in countries whose populations have included many people who could neither read
nor write, a popular non-and formal approach to literacy has been the each-one-teach-one and each
one reach one methods. With this method, educational leaders first prepare simple reading
materials, then ask each individual who already can read to teach just one illiterate person to read
the materials. After the illiterate person has mastered the skill of simple reading, he or she must
then teach one other illiterate person. By this approach, thousands of people have learned to read
in nations like China, Mexico, Cuba, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.
 India's current education system follows the European and especially British models introduced in
the late 1700's and 1800's. During the period of British rule, the education system sought to
produce able officials and therefore concentrated on teaching languages and numeric skills. An
educational elite (top class) emerged, drawn mainly from the highest classes of Indian society.

The process of education has some objectives and goals. These include:
• to make person well adjusted and adapted with existing values and expectations.
• to develop him/her morally high so that he /she can acquire more capacities to mould their self
when needed
• to give technical and advanced education.
• to make attitudes and ideas more rational and logical, so that person can learn self control.
The main problem with Indian education is the low figures of school retention, especially in rural
areas. There are fewer schools and have lower attendance figures. Throughout India, schools are
overcrowded in cities. Neither the quality of education in the country nor schooling systems are
up to satisfaction. The state of higher education is even worse, due to corruptive policies of
authorities.

Formal education – Organized, guided by a formal curriculum, leads to a formally recognized

credential such as a high school completion diploma or a degree, and is often guided and
recognized by government at some level. Teachers are usually trained as professionals in some
way.

Non-formal learning – Organized (even if it is only loosely organized), may or may not be guided
by a formal curriculum. This type of education may be led by a qualified teacher or by a leader
with more experience. Though it doesn’t result in a formal degree or diploma, non-formal
education is highly enriching and builds an individual’s skills and capacities. Continuing education
courses are an example for adults. Girl guides and boy scouts are an example for children. It is
often considered more engaging, as the learner’s interest is a driving force behind their
participation.

Informal learning – No formal curriculum and no credits earned. The teacher is simply someone
with more experience such as a parent, grandparent or a friend. A father teaching his child to play
catch or a babysitter teaching a child their ABC’s is an example of informal education.

Education in its all-inclusive form goes beyond what takes places within the four walls of the
classroom.
A child gets education from his experiences outside the school as well as from those within on the
basis of these factors. So, there are mainly three types of education, namely, Formal, Informal and
Non-formal. Each of these types is briefly described below.

(A) Formal Education

Highlights
(i) Planned with a particular end in view.
(ii) Limited to a specific period.
(iii) Well-defined and systematic curriculum
(iv) Given by specially qualified teachers.
(v) Includes activities outside the classroom
(vi) Observes strict discipline.

(i) Planned with a particular end in view

Formal education is planned with a particular end in view. It is given in school, college and similar
other institutions which are established with the purpose. In this way it is direct schooling,
instruction and tuition.

(ii) Limited to a specific period

Formal education is limited to a specific period or stage. It is provided according to certain set rule
and regulations. It is in the form of systematic, planned and guided instruction.

(iii) Well-defined and systematic curriculum

Forma education has a well-defined and systematic curriculum. This curriculum is based on certain
aims and objectives. These aims are in conformity with the needs of the society and the state-.

(iv) Given by specially qualified teachers

Formal education given by specially qualified teachers they are supposed to be efficient in the art
of instruction.

(v) Includes activities outside the class-room

In modern progressive schools, the process of education is not merely restricted the four walls of
the class-room. There are more activities outside the class-room than inside it.

(vi) Observes strict discipline

Formal education observes strict discipline. The pupil and the teacher are both aware of the fact
an engage themselves in the process of education.
It may, however, be mentioned that any process of teaching which involves supervision,
instruction, set plan, definite aims and principles amounts to formal education.

(B) Informal Education

Highlights

(i) Incidental and spontaneous

(ii) Not-pre-planned.

(iii) Not imparted by any specialised agency.

(iv) No prescribed time-table or curriculum.

(v) May be negative also

(i) Incidental and spontaneous

Informal education is incidents and spontaneous. There is no conscious effort involved in it.
Courtesies gentleness, etc. learnt in a market place or in a hotel or in one's sitting room amount to
informal education.

(ii) Not-pre-planned nor deliberate

Informal education is an educative activity which is neither pre-planned nor deliberate. The child
learns many habits, manners and patterns while living with others or moving in different spheres
like home, society, groups etc.

(iii) Not imparted by any specialised agency

Unlike formal education, informal education is not imparted by any specialised agency such as
school or college.

(iv) No prescribed time-table or curriculum

Informal education is not given according to any fixed time-table or through formal means of
education. There is no set curriculum required. Informal education consists in experiences and
actual living in the family or community.

(v) May be negative education also

Informal education may take to negative direction also. Instances are not rare when one learns
stealing, or some other forms of misbehaviour from the experiences which the child may casually
have in the street, in the market, in the cinema hall or in some other such place.
In the words of an expert, Informal Education is "the process, by which a person imbibes attitudes,
develops skills, cultivates values and acquires knowledge, without there being any organisation or
system about it. This would include the deliberate attempts of parents and elders in the family and
community to help the young ones grow and adapt themselves to the environment. Informal
Education would also include all incidental learning that takes place while at work or at play and
during travels-as well as spontaneous learning through films, radio and television."

(C) Non-Formal Education

Non-formal education is one of the recent concepts getting into use. Indian involvement in non-
formal education has increased as a result of our interest in making education a life-long affair
rather than a matter of formal schooling.

Highlights
(i) Derived from the expression 'formal education.
(ii) Outside the realm of formal education.
(iii) Conscious and deliberate.
(iv) To be organised for a homogeneous group.
(v) Serving the need of the identified group.
(i) Derived from the expression 'formal education

The expression 'non-formal' in non-formal education has been derive from the expression 'formal'
in formal education by using the pre-fix non-

(ii) Outside the realm of formal Education

Unlike inform education which is unstructured, spontaneous and without formality non-formal
education would be structured and planned, but outside realm of formal education. "Any organised,
systematic education activity, carried outside the framework of the established formal system
whether operating separately or as an important feature of some broad activity, that is intended to
serve identifiable learning clienteles ai learning objectives."

(iii) Conscious and deliberate

Non-formal education consciously and deliberately organised and systematically implemented.

(iv) To be organised for a homogeneous group

Non-formal education should be organised for a homogeneous group. Such a grot has to be
identified in terms of the learning needs of the group member

(v) Serving the need of the identified group

Non-form, education should be programmed to serve the needs of the identify group. This will
necessitate flexibility in design of the curriculum and the scheme of evaluation.