What Is Education?

Education is the social institution through which society provides its members with important knowledge, including basic facts, job skills, and cultural norms values.

Why Is Education Important?

There are many different understandings and definitions of what education is, but one thing that can be agreed, is the importance of education and here’s why.

Allows For Self-Dependency

The importance of education is obvious when it comes to being self-dependent. If we are educated, we won't need to rely on anybody else because education is something only ourselves own. It allows you to be more financially independent and can make better choices on our own.

Confidence

Being self-confident is one of the most important part of being successful in life. And we can gain that confidence with an education. Our level in education is one way we can prove and show our knowledge. Not only that, it gives us the confidence to express and speak our mind without being afraid.

Provides Stability

Education provides stability in life, and it’s something that no one can ever take away from you. By being well-educated and holding a college degree, you can get better chances for career opportunities and open up new doors for yourself.

A Part Of Society

In today’s society, having an education is considered a needed and essential part of being accepted by those around you. Having an education is believed to make you a useful part of society, and can make you feel like a contributing member as well.

What Are 3 Types Of Education?

There are 3 main types of education which are, Formal Education, Informal Education, and Non-Formal Education. We will discuss and explain each of them here..

1.Formal Education

Usually takes place in school, where a person may learn basic, academic, or trade skills. Formal education often begins in elementary school and continues with secondary school.

The formal education is given by specially qualified teachers which are observed by strict disciplines. The teachers are supposed to be efficient and good in the art of instruction. The student and the teacher both are aware of the facts and engage themselves in the process of education.

Characteristics of Formal Education

Formal education is structured hierarchically.
It is planned and intended.
Scheduled fees are paid regularly.
It has a sequential grading system.
It has a curriculum and subject-oriented. The curriculum has to be covered within a specific time period.
The child is taught by the teachers.

Advantages of Formal Education

An organized educational model and up to date course contents.
Students obtain knowledge from trained and professional teachers.
Structured and systematic learning process.
Intermediate and final assessments are guaranteed to advance students to the next learning phase.
Institutions are managerially and physically organized.
Leads to a formally recognized certificate.
Better chances to get jobs.

Disadvantages of Formal Education

Talented and brilliant students sometimes get bored because of the long wait for the academic session to promote them to the next level.
Chance of bad habits’ adoption may be startled and alarming because good and bad students are both present in classroom.
Waste of time as some lazy students may fail to learn properly although they are already trained and taught by professional teachers.
Some unprofessional and non-standard education system may cause the wastage of time and money of the students which leads to the disappointment from formal education and argue them to go for non-formal education.
Costly and firm education as compare to other forms of learning.

Examples of Formal Education

Learning in classroom.
School grading/certification, college, and university degrees.
Planned education of different subjects having a proper curriculum obtained by attending the institution.

2. Informal Education

Informal education is when you are not studying in a school and do not use any particular learning method. In this type of education, conscious efforts are not needed. It is neither pre-planned nor deliberate. It may be learned at some marketplace, hotel or at home.

Informal education is not relayed by an institution such as school or college. Informal education is not given according to any fixed timetable. There is no set curriculum required. Informal education consists of experiences and actually living in the family or community.

Characteristics of Informal Education

It has no definite curriculum.
It is not pre-planned and has no timetable.
No fees are required as we get informal education through daily experience and by learning new things.
It is a lifelong process in a natural way.
The certificates/degrees are not involved and one has no stress for learning the new things.
You can get from any source such as media, life experiences, friends, family etc.

Advantages of Informal Education

More naturally learning process as you can learn at anywhere and at any time from your daily experience.
It involves activities like individual and personal research on a topic of interest for themselves by using books, libraries, social media, internet or getting assistance from informal trainers.
No specific time span.
Less costly and time-efficient learning process.
No need to hire experts as most of the professionals may be willing to share their knowledge with students/public through social media and the internet.
Learners can pick up necessary information from books, TV, radio or conversations with their friends/family members.

Disadvantages of Informal Education

Information acquired from the internet, social media, TV, radio or conversations with friends/family members may lead to the disinformation.
The use of techniques may not be appropriate.
No proper schedule/time span.
Unpredictable results which simply the wastage of time.
Lack of confidence in the learner.
Absence of discipline, attitude and good habits.

Examples of Informal Education

Teaching the child some basics such as numeric characters.
Someone learning his/her mother tongue
A spontaneous type of learning, “if a person standing in a bank learns about opening and maintaining the account at the bank from someone.”

3. Non - Formal Education

Includes adult basic education, adult literacy education or school equivalency preparation.

In non-formal education, someone who is not in school can learn literacy, other basic skills or job skills.

Non-formal education is imparted consciously and deliberately and systematically implemented. Non-formal education should be programmed to serve the needs of the identified group. This will involve flexibility in the design of the curriculum and the plan of evaluation.

Characteristics of Non-Formal Education

The non formal education is planned and takes place apart from the school system.
The timetable and syllabus can be adjustable.

3. Unlike theoretical formal education, it is practical and vocational education.

4. Non formal education has no age limit.

5. Fees or certificates may or may not be necessary.

6. It may be full time or part-time learning and one can earn and learn together.

7. It involves learning of professional skills.

Advantages of Non-Formal Education

Practiced training.
Naturally growing minds that do not wait for the system to change.
Learning with skillfulness growth in which self-learning is appreciated.
Flexibility in age, curriculum and time.
Open-ended educational system in which both the public and private part are involved in the process.
No need to conduct regular exams.
Diploma, certificates, and award are not essential to be awarded.

Disadvantages of Non-Formal Education

Attendance of participants are unsteady.
Sometimes, it’s just wastage of time as there is no need to conduct the exam on regular basis and no degree/diploma is awarded at the end of the training session.
Basic reading and writing skills are crucial to learn.
No professional and trained teachers.
Students may not enjoy full confidence as the regular students enjoy.
Some institutes provide fake certification through online courses just for the sake of earning.

Examples of Non-Formal Education

Boy Scouts and Girls Guides develop some sports program such as swimming comes under non formal education.
Fitness programs.
Free courses for education developed by some organization.