Non-formal Education - Guide to a Holistic Growth

Non-formal education is the education imparted outside the educational forum. It explains the various educational activities conducted for better and reformed growth. However, non-formal education comprises courses different from the institutions or by any scheme allotted by government funding. It only focuses on learning outside the traditional school system. Non-formal education is achieved from the learner's intentional effort to master any activity beyond a set of rules described as informal education.

Table of Contents

• What is the Non-Formal Education?
• Difference Between Formal and Non-formal Education
• Importance 
• Principles 
• Objectives
• Benefits
• Features
• Books 

What is the Non-Formal Education?

Formal education is most prevalent in society, but there are alternatives to formal education. Non-formal education is a structured, organized educational activity that is carried outside the usual framework of schools. It encompasses various learning methods through recreational tools to multiple sub-groups in the population.

Non-formal education may or may not be carried inside the educational institutions, and it has no age restrictions. It may cater to various learning programs like adult literacy, fundamental education for non- school-going children, life skills or culture, and diversity. It promotes the need for education to all, generating national income and more adaptable employment opportunities. It also assists in the transfer of proper educational equipment to more need-based areas. Non-formal education develops a wide range of learning and productive skills with substantial gains.

Difference Between Formal and Non-formal Education

Learning is the main goal for every step in formal education; non-formal education strives for better understanding despite any guided set of assessments. Some people ordinarily master proficiency in various activities and undergo checks to evaluate themselves in the skills they acquired.

Tabulated below are the 5 differences between formal and informal education.

Difference Between Formal and Informal Education

Formal Education	Non-Formal Education
Formal education serves as a long-term general education that provides the foundation for an individual's whole life.	Non-formal education is known as short-term or specific education that serves to satisfy the needs of individuals or communities.
Formal education qualifies individuals with certificates, enabling them to obtain specific socio-economic positions in the wider society.	It provides the learning that is immediately valued in the individual or community's life.
Formal education duration is often 10 years or more.	Non-formal education duration is short, ranging from 3 months to 2 years.
Formal education is future-oriented, and it helps students lay a strong foundation on the basis to face their future society and economy.	Non-formal education facilitates immediate learning.
Formal education takes place in educational institutions like "schools," with high visibility and guidance.	Non-formal education does not necessarily take place in schools. It can vary based on the specific facilities available at a low cost.

Importance of Non-Formal Education

Education is a comprehensive approach to learning. Learning happens at every step, and there are no limitations to knowledge. And every individual experiences a process in some of the other work which strikes the mind.

Learning with fun makes every individual build a keen interest in achieving. Below are the importance of non-formal education.

• It is a fundamental approach for building confidence among individuals, and people start trusting their instincts by learning different methods in any field.
• Students acquire emotional, cognitive, and other various inclusions of practices for skills. It provides a platform for developing new skills and generates opportunities for people who are beyond the reach of traditional education.
• Brainstorming, exercises, presentations, interactive lectures, etc., help develop various skills to undergo any situation in life.
• Beyond the rational approaches of textbook learning, non-formal education incorporates unique learning processes via practical strategies making the student smarter and brighter.
• It generates values for the areas it is conducted, a sense of belongingness, and motivates others to join the workforce and enhance the skills or places they want to pursue.

Principles of Non-Formal Education

Non-formal education came into action in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It establishes the power of knowledge by learning outside the confined zones of education. Non-formal education can be imparted anywhere and everywhere. It is a holistic approach towards learning and developing the strategies to provide education to all the sections in some or another way.

Non-formal education has four principles,

• There should be adequate relevance to the needs of disadvantaged groups.
• A valid concern with particular categories of persons
• Unambiguous focus on clearly defined purposes.
• Enormous flexibility in organization and method

Objectives of Non-Formal Education

The motive is to assure the outstanding quality of training and resources to non-formal educational sectors. People involved in any form of activity should have access to all the tools required. The youth should be endowed with life-long learning strategies.

Objectives of non-formal education are,

• Children should adapt to the culture, the roots, and the patriotism sentiments to develop a sense of belongingness and secularism. People should be aware of and ready to face any phenomena occurring daily.
• To encourage students who never appeared in any primary school or are dropouts to enhance their learning and cross the non-formal learning threshold.
• To enable them to speak, write, and read various texts in varied linguistic skills, giving them a platform to practice their skills and showcase their talents.
• To develop fundamental habits, manners, etiquettes to manifest healthy and safe living standards.
• To endorse proficiency is their expertise concerning their personal goals and objectives to make themselves sufficient.

Benefits of Non-Formal Education

Non-formal education is a boon to society and to the people who cannot witness the benefits of schooling. It aids in an individual's learning to grow confident and responsible.

Below are some benefits of non-formal education.

• Experienced teachers with appropriate knowledge who gives practical loom to every learning
• Programs designed after schools, interactive and practical approaches to making them understand various methods
• It provides each learner adequate space and time to learn skills and respect each individual associated.
• Consider personal growth, and even the delicate issues are handled with the utmost care with proactive approaches.
• Gracefulness and capability to adapt to an individual's needs and profession to a personal level

Features of Non-Formal Education in India

In India, there are a wide range of subjects or platforms to learn and expertise in. In India, schools were established in ancient times, and people practised all sorts of knowledge. However, practical knowledge was given higher status because of their application.

People have mastered weapon handling, read Upananya's, and had a religious experience with secure handling of various tactics and strategies.

• In India, non-formal education is a complementary system for formal education.
• Non-formal education is the flexible, supple form of education. It is need-based education promoted to instruct and guide individuals for a better understanding of any issue.
• Life-long practitioners learn in every aspect of their life at every age. Non-formal education does not set criteria, and anyone from anywhere can be a part of and learn specific skills.
• Being reasonably priced, people from rural or lightly populated areas can easily access learning and development.
• It leads to the nation's development as most people are educated in some form, and students learn a diverse range of skills besides literacy or numeracy.

Books for Non-formal Education

Non-formal education's primary focus is on practical knowledge. Therefore, they incorporate learning with different practical implementations besides the standard form of reading through texts and assessing assessment criteria.

Some of the relevant books are mentioned below.

• Non-formal education by P.Ramachandra Pillai
• Non-formal education: Flexible Schooling or Participatory Education? by Alan Rogers
• Adult and Non-formal Education by Rameshwari Pandya
• Literacy and Non-formal Education by V.C. Pandey
• Non-formal and Continuing Education by U.K. Singh and K.N Sudarshan
• Educational Thought and Practice by V.R. Taneja

Non-formal education is the complimentary aid established by the government, which majorly focuses on developing the youth by providing a variety of skills and tactics. People learn to read and make themselves literate. It contributes to the development of our nation, and individuals become self-sufficient. They are taught basic fundamental rights to head up in every situation and voice their opinions freely.