All About 3 Types of Education: Formal, Informal & Non-Formal

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This life-changing process is not limited to the four walls of a traditional classroom. The impact of education is all around us. It makes us a good human being, teaches us the right values, and makes us productive citizens. This article will discuss the different types of education and their differences.

Let’s delve in!

What is Education?

Education is a process that helps an individual to acquire skills and knowledge. This process empowers individuals to develop their thought processes, allowing them to distinguish between right and wrong.

One needs to be educated to develop reasoning abilities. Formal education aims to build these relevant skillsets in individuals through a carefully planned approach.

What are the Different Types of Education?

Formal Education

The first and the most important of all education types is formal education. As the name reveals, this type of education is imparted through an institution. It has a proper structure from the beginning till the end. This one includes basic academic knowledge, bookish information, and a mix of pedagogies used by a team of professionals.

An institution that imparts formal education also quantifies a student’s success or failure through grades/numbers/percentages/other assessment indicators, etc. For this, an academic institution like a school or college issues academic credential/credentials that are, in turn, used to enter the upcoming stages/levels.

This gives students an identity of being ‘educated’ among all types of education. It also connects their personalities with skills aligned with particular disciplines/branches of knowledge. For instance, students graduating from a medical college are considered future medical practitioners. People who study accounting or Commerce are considered good at math and statistics. Formal education gives students a structured setup to fulfill their aspirations in life. But again, it is only one of the education types, and there are more to this list.

Informal Education

Opportunities for informal education are neither structured nor measured. However, this does not belittle its importance among the other types of education. Daily life offers many opportunities to learn informally without any pre-planning.

Just pause for a second and recall the joy of cooking for the first time in the kitchen, riding a bicycle, or returning to the day you baked your first cake as a child. All these are examples of informal education that do not require a teacher, an institution, or a syllabus. Parents, friends, and family members take this learning forward. Mostly, these activities are fun/enjoyable for an individual.

Non Formal Education

Now that we have discussed two different types of education, it’s time to move on to the third one!

Non-formal education is another one on the list of education types. Just like formal education, this one does require planning. However, it is not as structured or systematic. For instance, music, art, online courses, sports, swimming, and hobby classes (extra-curricular activities) fall under this category. In general, non-formal education is more flexible and includes practice and theory. Besides, there is no compulsion to provide proof of completion for these activities.

Different types of education have their advantages. However, non-formal education has an edge. It extends to all age groups.

Comparison Between Formal, Informal, and Non-Formal Education Types

Features	Formal education	Informal education	Non-formal education
Characteristics	* Structured * Well – Planned * Time-Bound * Needs Professionals * Is Paid * Awards Certificate/Diploma/Degree	* No restrictions * More fun and engaging * Gives experience * Stress-Free	* No boundation to issue certificates * Can involve professional skills * No dependence on a strict timetable
Advantages	* Organized * Can be quantified * Makes it easy to enter the next level	* Involves activities * No cost burden * Free from time restrictions	Flexible No age limit * Involves both practical and theory
Disadvantages	* Costly * Can lead to academic stress	* Can be time-taking * No definite results	Lack of professional support Results may vary * No proper validation of the skills developed

By far, we have explored the different types of education; it’s now time to discuss some alternatives to formal education and the need to have these in place.

Why Do We Need Alternatives to Formal Education?

Indeed, formal education cannot be replaced with other education types. But in the present time, we need more alternatives (like online schooling, hybrid learning, distance learning, etc.) for the following reasons:

To Improve Reach

Alarming fact!

36% of boys and 21% of girls between 6 and 17 years in India chose to drop out of school as they were not interested in studies (2019-21). Similarly, 13% of girls and 10% of boys had to give up their studies due to household work.

All such students need more flexible education types (educational alternatives) to balance their life priorities without giving up on their studies.

Resolve Quality Issues

After decades of implementing several schemes and National Education Policies, we still need a lot of improvement. After spending five years in a formal school, 50% of the students lacked basic numeracy and literacy skills. This shows that we need to rethink our formal education system. And embrace more quality-oriented alternatives like online schooling for damage control.

Skill Building

The skill gap is another important issue that the types of education have not resolved completely. In India, the employability of our students is quite low even after completing several years of formal education. Take a look at the employability statistics for Indian graduates (2023 and 24) below:

Degree	Employability %
Masters of Business Administration	71%
Bachelor of Engineering	64.67%
Masters of Computer Application	64.63%
Bachelor of Pharmaceuticals	54%
Bachelor of Science	51.27%
Polytechnic	22%

Inclusion of the Differently-Abled

Our total population has 2.2% disabled citizens. 2.3% of these belong to the rural areas. At the same time, 2.0% are from urban India (2.4% males and 1.9% females). Unfortunately, only 1% of 12 million differently-abled Indian students attend schools. And it is easy to guess that 63.66% of this population remains unemployed.

Educational alternatives are a need of the hour for millions of these students who need more tailored learning settings.

Improve Learning Environment

Another aspect that highlights the need for alternatives despite all education types is the importance of a conducive learning environment. Social interactions, close student-teacher relationships, and favorable learning conditions promote the educational process. Educational alternatives create a more secure and happy learning environment by keeping threats like bullying at bay. In this way, they improve both quality and productivity in learning.

Final Thoughts

We hope we have elaborated different types of education comprehensively for you. Brush up your knowledge with more such information. And create an impact on the lives of students with your enhanced skillsets!

Thanks for Reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are the different types of education?

Ans. Broadly, there are three types of education: formal, informal, and non-formal.

Q. Which is the best of all education types?

Ans. All education types have their advantages and demerits. However, formal education is often trusted as the most important one. It has transparency and feasibility in proving the acquired skill sets after completing a course/tenure/academic year, etc.

Q. Are there any alternatives to formal education?

Ans. There are many alternatives to formal education, such as online schools. These schools create a perfect learning environment for students at home.

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