Definitions of Formal, Informal and Non-formal Education
By
Malcolm Webber (United States) | October 12, 2009
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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 above is from “The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education”: www.infed.org
As Christians, perhaps we could reconfigure the above definitions into two categories of
intentionally-designed learning experiences?
- Learning experiences that God designs for us (informal education).
- Learning experiences that one designs for another (formal and non-formal).
In other words, there is always design.
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