The Characteristics of Non Formal Education

Dealing with non-formal education, UU Sisdiknas No. 20 tahun 2003 Pasal 26 states that non-formal education is held for the society who need educational service, which has function as substitution, addition and or complement of formal education in supporting lifelong education. Coombs and Ahmed 1974: 8 in Rogers 2004 define non formal education as any organized, systematic, educational activity carried on outside the framework of the formal system to provide selected types of learning to particular subgroups in the population, adults as well as children. While Kleis 1973: 6 in Etllng 1993 explains the definition of non formal education, as Any intentional and systematic educational enterprise usually outside of traditional schooling in which content is adapted to the unique needs of the students or unique situations in order to maximize learning and minimize other elements which often occupy formal school teachers i.e. taking roll, enforcing discipline, writing reports, supervising study hall, etc. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO in 1997 define non-formal education as “any organized and sustained educational activities that do not correspond exactly to the definition of formal education”. In addition, course and training are held for people who need knowledge, skill, life-skill and self-development, profession development, work, entrepreneurship, and or continuing higher education. Based on those definitions, non formal education is set up to fulfill the lack education in formal education. In short, non-formal education can be defined as an alternative education, which supplements the formal education.

2. The Characteristics of Non Formal Education

UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Program of Education for ALL APPEAL in 1990 propose that the innovative Non-Formal Education should have following characteristics: a. Non Formal Education Program emerges as an innovation to solve pressing problem in a given society. b. Therefore it is goal and purpose oriented not certificate oriented. c. It emphasizes on tackling specific problems and rather than learning abstract subject matters. d. It may help to initiate a program or a project after an experimental phase. e. It is flexible, learner centered, and participatory. f. It is more practical rather than theoretical. g. Autonomy at the program level and less chance for external control. h. More economical because it could use existing facilities. i. It is continuing life long process. Fordham 1993 in Smith 2009 suggests that in the 1970s, four characteristics came be associated with non-formal education: a. Relevance to the needs of disadvantaged groups b. Concern with specific categories of person c. A focus on clearly defined purposes d. Flexibility in organization and methods. Etllng 1993 explains the characteristics of non formal education differentiated with formal education. Non Formal Education NFE is more learner centered than most formal education. Learners can leave anytime they are not motivated. NFE tends to emphasize a cafeteria curriculum options, choices rather than the prescribed, sequential curriculum found in schools. In NFE human relationships are more informal roles of teachers and students are less rigid and often switch than in schools where student-teacher and teacher- administrator roles are hierarchical and seldom change in the short term. NFE focuses on practical skills and knowledge while schools often focus on information which may have delayed application. Overall NFE has a lower level of structure and therefore more flexibility than schools. The characteristics of non formal education can be summarized are as follow 1 practical, 2 learner centered, 3 flexible, 4 more economical, 5 have clear objectives.

3. The Scope of Non-formal Education