FORMS OF EDUCATION

Education can take three different forms, depending on curriculum, the teacher, what is thought and the expectation of education, prevailing social milieu, etc. Thus we have:
a. Formal Education
b. Informal Education
c. Non-formal Education
FORMAL EDUCATION
A formal education program is the process of training and developing people in knowledge, skills, mind, and character in a structured and certified program. Singh is of the same opinion:
…it is that education where according to pre-determined aims and methods of teaching, definite dozes of knowledge are thrust into the mind of a child at specific place during a set of duration of time by a particular individual”
This is an organized and planned educational system, where the learnerS’ natural inclinations (talents) are guided and given form. In most countries, the formal education system is state-supported and state-operated. In some countries, the state allows and certifies private systems which provide a comparable education.
INFORMAL EDUCATION
This form of education takes place outside the school. Actually it begins from the earliest childhood environments (informal school) and accompanies the child to the school and beyond. It is mediated by resources and resource people at home, in the church, mosque, market, village square, etc.
One characteristic featrure of informal education is that education is neither planned nor organized as in formal education, and no specific end in view is anticipated. However, it is provides the child’s initial knowledge or experience which serves as resource knowledge for formal education.
NONFORMAL EDUCATION
Nonformal education is not informal education even though they closely related. Dissimilarly, nonformal education refers to education which takes place outside of the formally organized academic institution. Most typically, the term or phrase nonformal education is used to refer to adult literacy and continuing education for adults. A writer says that it is called nonformal because of the following characteristic features:
• it is not compulsory
• it does not lead to a formal certification,
• And it may or may not be state-supported.