Types of Education
Education is far wider and more inclusive than schooling. We acquire education from our experiences outside the school. R.C.Lodge says, "All experience is said to be educative. The bite of a mosquito, the taste of water melon, the experience of falling in love, of flying in an aeroplane, of being in a storm in a small boat-all such experiences have a direct educative effect on us". Thus, education includes all the influences which act upon an individual during his passage from cradle to grave. This wider meaning of education includes all the meanings attached to different types of education.
Generally, we have three types of education on the basis of scope and meaning namely, formal, informal and non-formal education.
(a) Formal education:
This type of education is consciously and deliberately planned and imparted in educational institutions like school, college or university in order to modify the behaviour of the individual. It is provided according to certain rules and regulations through co-curricular activities, planning of monthly or yearly programmes, time of opening, time of teaching the subjects and time of closing. It follows a well-defined and systematic curriculum, method of teaching, textbooks and discipline. This type of education is given in a well-organized way by the teachers who are qualified and trained and able to bring about all-round development of the child according to the needs of the individual and the society. It prepares the child for examination and provides him certificates or degrees.
(b) Informal education:
There is no specialised agency to impart this type of education. It is not pre-planned or deliberate but it is a spontaneous and quite incidental. The child gets this education, consciously or unconsciously, while he moves and lives in the community. He goes on learning, throughout his life, through the medium of experiences which maybe pleasant or unpleasant. The press, the family, the community and the playgrounds are some of the agencies of informal education. Usually, this kind of education takes place at home, in the temple, mosque, church, gurudwara, social agencies, public place and in the political meetings. Every person plays the role of a teacher as the occasions demand. This kind of education is also to be long process and it takes place whenever people learn, work and live together. In other words, such education takes place in the social environments. It is entirely different from both formal and non-formal education. That is, no time table, curriculum, classroom teaching examination and rules and regulations.
(c) Non-formal education:
Non-formal education is one of the modern types of education which falls in between formal and informal education as a life-long process. It is more elastic and the pupil who drops out of the school or those employed, without proper education, illiterate, financially poor, housewives, residing a long distance away from educational institution, and who want to improve their skill can make use of this kind of education.
Definitions of non-formal education:
A number of definitions of non-formal education are as follows:
(a) Bremwork:
"Non-formal education differs from formal education from the proximity to immediate action, work and the opportunity to put learning to use".
(b) Philip H.Combs:
"Non-formal education is a residual category. It includes all organized systematic educational activity carried on outside the formal education"
(c) McCall:
"Non-formal education is the entire range of learning experiences outside the regular graded school system".
(d) Henderson:
"Non-formal is far wider and more inclusive than school which imparts wider experiences out of school".
(e) Harbuism:
"Non-formal education is the only means of filling the gap between the `schooled' and `unschooled' population"
(f) Paulston:
"Non-formal education includes any structured systematic, non-school school education and training activities of relatively short duration, where sponsoring agencies seek concrete behavioural changes in fairly distinct target population".
(g) International education commission:
"Non-formal education is a life long process and it emphasized the informal and non-formal education for those who left education at certain stage of life and now they have felt the necessity".
Characteristics of non-formal education:
The prominent characteristic of non-formal education are as follows:
(a) Free from formal education:
Non-formal education is free from all rules and regulations that followed in formal education system. It is non-formal education in which attendance of students is not compulsory. It provides freedom for the students in selecting the subjects and time for the study. In fact, learning takes place in the students according to their interest, ability and needs.
(b) Open system:
It is an open system of education which is flexible and out of rigid rules and regulations. This type of education is open to all irrespective of their castes, creeds, colours, place etc. Admission is not made on the basis of mark and money, but educational qualification.
(c) Organized education:
It is an organized and systematised education like formal education with fixed curriculum and examination.
(d) Life-long process:
It is a life-long process integrated with life and work. It is based on the life and environment of the individual.
(e) Intended for all ages:
It is meant for all age groups. People of any sections of society and at any stage can pursue their education through non-formal system.
(f) Suitable alternative:
It is useful and a suitable alternative to formal education. It is a panacea for those who abandon their education and reside in places where higher educational opportunities are not available and they can fulfil their desire for education. It helps them to learn while they earn.
(g) Means of filling the gap:
Harbuism says, "Non-formal education is the only means of filling the gap between the `schooled' and unschooled population". It falls between the formal and informal education.
(h) Universalisation of education:
Non formal education brings about universalisation of professional, vocational and technical education. It also meets the requirements of higher education of people who could not get the opportunity in their early stages.
(i) Self-motivational:
Non-formal education is naturally self-motivational. The growth of a learner motivates him to pursue higher education under non-formal formal education which makes him confident and self-reliant.
(j) Main agencies involved:
Multiple agencies are involved in the process of non-formal education. For instance, mass media, open schools, open universities, directorate of distance education etc. act as the agencies through which non-formal education is imparted at national and international levels.
(k) Adoptability:
Non-formal system of education adopts suitable curriculum and methodologies so that it fulfils the requirement of the learners.
Sources of Different Types of Education
Every type of education has its sources or agencies by which the individual and the society are educated and trained in such a way as to lead a meaningful life as a civilized man in the world.
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| Types of Education |
