CHANNELS OF EDUCATION As the meaning of education is very wide and comprehensive, so the scope of education is very wide.

The scope of education can be broadly stated as formal education, informal education and non-formal education. Formal education Formal education refers to, the education imparted from the institutions specially founded for this purpose. Such education is structured, rigid and a deliberately planned process by the society. Generally the education imparted in the schools, colleges and universities falls under the category of formal education. So, Formal comprehends education as it is provided in educational institutions like school, colleges, institutes for higher education, etc. According to John & Evelyn Dewey (1962), "Our first teachers.... are our [nose, ears,] feet, hands, and eyes. To substitute books for them does not teach us to reason; it teaches us to use the reason of others rather than our own; it teaches us to believe much and to know little." As observed by Education Commission (1964-66) Education can not be considered in isolation or planned in a vacuum. It has to be powerful instrument of social and political change. Education is a comprehensive concept. It comprehends the knowledge which is gain from television, magazine, newspaper, radio. Education is a life long process. The scope of education has very vast. Characteristics of formal education 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Formal education is limited to a specific period or stage. It is the systemic from of, planned and guided instruction. Formal education has a well-defined and systemic curriculum. The place of education and the timings are fixed. This type of education has beginning at the age of 3 and close at the age of 25-30 years. In formal education the syllabus is completed. In this type of education, examinations are held in formal way and results announced keeping in view the goals as set up. 8) It is a well planned syllabus pattern with fixed time table specially prepared for it. Advantages of Formal Education 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Planned with a particular end in view. Limited to a specific period. Given by specially qualified teachers. Well defined and systemic curriculum. Includes activities outside the classroom. It develops the habit of reading continuously.

Disadvantages of formal education 1. 2. Formal education is completely of formal nature; it often fails to touch certain aspects of ones personality and leaves it completely undeveloped. In the class, good and gifted are all sit together in the same class and taught by the same teacher. This slows down the process of the gifted students.

Agencies of formal education Agencies of formal education are which, those have a pre-determined syllabus, time and curriculum is fixed according the time table. The best example of formal education agency is school. The other is

institutions, colleges, university, libraries, museums etc. In most countries it is state supported and state operated. Though, in some countries a private system of education is allowed by state. Informal education Informal education is commonly called lifelong learning as people of all ages continue to seek knowledge and enrich their lives. It generally occurs outside the formal classroom. The individual acquires skills, knowledge and values from daily experiences, from family and neighbours, from work and play, from the market place, from reading and travelling. According to Coombs and Ahmed (1974) : Any organized, systematic, educational activity carried on outside the framework of the formal system to provide selected types of learning to particular sub-groups in the population, adults as well as children is the Informal Education. This type of education has no specific time or place at which it is provided. Even the educator is no fixed. This kind of education is the education one receives while playing in fields, talking, roaming around somewhere, in fact, and everywhere. This kind of education never comes to an end. It provides the individual learner more by self learning mode of education. In, informal education, the learner get the knowledge without the direct help of any orgationization or institution. Informal complements the formal education. Such education has no specific time or place, when it is provided. Even educator is not fixed. It can be gained for individually from any place either from at Home, Peer Group, Library, Youth Organization, Discussions, Playing in fields. Advantages of Informal education 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) It is a natural way of teaching and learning. Informal education is motivated the learner but it is self motivated in the learning process. Informal education is not given according to any curriculum required. Informal education is consists of experiences and actual living in the family or community. Informal education is incidental or spontaneous. Informal education is not pre-planned. The child learns from society, home and groups.

Disadvantages of informal education 1. 2. 3. 4. Informal education is received in the absence of a so called GURU the teacher. Informal education, the learner learnt in the company of equal age group but in, informal education the learner missed all the things. Informal education does not give much confidence to the learners. May leads towards negative education.

Agencies of Informal education Informal agencies of education are those in which education is provided informally and unconsciously. Informal education agencies are home or family, society, peer group, films, telephone, museum, mass media, library, magazines and educational tours etc. Non formal education NFE in the Indian context has developed a restricted meaning of an alternative delivery system of education for children who are not able to participate in formal elementary school. In July 1979, the CBSE, New Delhi started the open school the first of its kind in the country. It is an institution set up to bring the flexibility and openness in the educational system and to extend educational opportunities to the weaker and disadvantaged sections of the society. Some examples of the organization who impart non formal education are A) Open School:- e.g. NIOS: Mira The Happy School. B) Open

University: - e.g. IGNOU, -Baba Shaeb Ambedkar Open University- Sikkim and Manipal Open University. 3). Open Learning and the Correspondence courses :- e.g. IGNOU, Baba Shaheb Ambedkar University, etc According to UNESCO: Any organized educational activity outside the established formal system-whether operating separately or as an important feature of some broader activity-that is intend to serve identifiable learning clientless and learning objectives. Non-formal education symbolizes flexibility in education. The system is open in every aspect of education. For ex:-Admissions, curriculum place or instruction, mode of instruction, the time and duration of instruction. Open school and Open University, Open learning and the Correspondence courses are the various examples of such as a system. Non-formal education can be advantageous for youth and adults for whom formal education is inappropriate or unavailable. This refers to any organized educational activity outside the established formal system system-whether operating separately or as an important feature of some broader activity that is intended to serve identified learning cliental and learning objectives. Most typically, the term is used to refer to adult literacy and continuing education for adults but now its reach is for the children also. Flexibility and access are the key features of such education. Its aim is to reach the marginalized group of society which have been left out of the formal system of education. Such as the school drop outs girl students child labourer, slum dwellers children fro remote and hilly regions children from the poor and schedule casts and tribes section of society. Examples of non formal education are the night schools, distance education, specific objective oriented awareness programme like environment awareness education, or programme for the importance of education of girls/women. Non Formal Education (NFE) is an educational programme which helps people to learn. In this not only the individuals but also the total system like disadvantage group, weaker section, etc. It caters the wide range of people having different age groups, students-who are not able to complete primary or secondary school, learners of different stages, labourers, Educated employed who want to continue education for promotion. Characteristics of Non Formal Education 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. It is life long process and integrated with life and work. It is an open system of education without any rigid rules and regulation. It is organized outside the formal system of education. There is a good deal of diversification of course so as to benefit all types of learners. It works on the principal of universal success to education. It provided part-time instruction to the non-enrolled children and to those who can not follow full time programs. It links the programs of education to the needs, interests and abilities of the students. It isorganized for a homogeneous group.

Essential Features of NFE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. A Support System Out-of-school children A Flexible System Need-based Curriculum Local person as Centre Teacher Instructional Methods Organization Scope for Re-Entry in Formal System Less Expensive

Objectives

1. 2. 3.

Immediate objective is the removal of illiteracy. The middle range objective is application of new knowledge to resolve economical,cultural,social problems. The long term objective is to achieve Life Long Education.

Types of NFE Programmes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Adult Functional Literacy Programmes Correspondence Courses Open School Studies Satellite Instructional T.V. Programmes Programmes for drop outs in age groups of 6 14.

Advantages of Non-formal education 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Universalisation of Primary Education. Eradication of Adult Literacy. Enabling the pupil to learn and earn. Providing educational facilities to neglected sectors of society. Enabling the students in geographically remote areas to get education. Meeting omissions of formal education. Rectifying the educational imbalance between those who live in village and those who live in towns. E.g. IGNOU.

Disadvantages of Non-formal education 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Non-formal education is very flexible so the students take it lightly and may leave it without completing it. Non-formal education should not be taken as panacea for all ills of the formal system. It is not an easy path to higher learning. Unless learner is properly motivated, he/she cannot gain from non-formal education mode up to our expectations. In non-formal education, the Lerner is not able to study regularly. The learner can not enjoy full confidence as the regularly studied learners enjoy.

Agencies of Non-formal education Special agencies for non-formal education such as Nehru Yuvak Kendras, Training centres of factories, Public libraries, Centres of correspondence education, etc. Radio and Television Open University such as IGNOU. Open school studies NIOS (National Institute of Open school)