As far back as history has recorded, education has always been recognized to be a factor that enhances the pillars of development and improvement within the context of society. Education cannot be overemphasized in a nation the factors as lack of education, neediness and public differences such as the case of Pakistan in the present day.

However, great roles still have to be played by the formal education systems in Pakistan; emphasis has been laid on the importance of non-formal education system in Pakistan during the past years. The non-formal education system includes courses not from any institution or any planned scheme of the government funding and is obtained from learners’ willful act of covering any activity beyond a rule which is defined as informal education.

Definition of Non-Formal Education

The training-related organised and intended activities that are linked to education yet occur out of the official framework is called non-formal education. It means that non-formal education systems are even more different with the traditional formal school in the liberties granted for the development of the programs so that they have to be more available and relevant to the concrete categories of people.

The training-related organised and intended activities that are linked to education yet occur out of the official framework is called non-formal education. It means that non-formal education systems are even more different with the traditional formal school in the liberties granted for the development of the programs so that they have to be more available and relevant to the concrete categories of people. Some of the added features of non-formal education systems are as follows:

• There is no limitation regarding the age of the users who can therefore access it.
• It includes the following learning techniques.
• Non-formal education is a very flexible type of education, which provides a multitude of learning.
• Productive efficiency is promoted where there are significant improvements.
• It is carried on by such items as recreation equipment to one or several of the sub-groups in the population.
• They create national income and more flexible employment prospects in the marketplace.
• This also helps in directing proper educational equipment to more needed areas as the issue of skewness may affect the determination of how the entire educational system addresses certain demographics’ needs.
• It may address different learn programs such as literacy, basic education for out of school children, life and cultural diversity, as well as others.

Principles of Non-Formal Education

Non formal education was introduced at the end of 1960s and beginning of the 1970s. It can be imparted anywhere and everywhere if the following four principles of non-formal education are followed:

• It should have sufficient relation to the requirements of deprived groups.
• A pertinent issue of argument with specific groups of people
• Incredibly specific goals and missions that one cannot misunderstand.
• Peculiar advantages of great flexibility of organization and method.

Objectives of Non-Formal Education

The basic role of non-formal education in Pakistanis to guarantee quality of training and resource in sectors non formal education. The other objectives of non-formal education are as follows:

• To motivate the students who never appeared in any primary school or those who dropped out from primary school to improve their studies.
• For practicing the basic etiquettes and manners to exhibit proper and healthy living standards.
• To recommend self-sufficiency is their endorsement of proficiency in matters personal goals and objectives to make themselves sufficient.
• They could speak, write and read various texts in diverse linguistic abilities.
• It also provides an opportunity to people so that they can be able to exercise their skills and demonstrate their abilities.

Types of Non Formal Education in Pakistan

Some of the major types of non-formal education in Pakistan include distance learning, Correspondence learning, etc Students can view the details list below of non-formal learning in Pakistan.

1. Distance Education

Distance education also known as distance learning is a way of offering education and training normally independent to the learners who are not physically attending for instance a class. Distance learning refers to “opportunity to learn for those occasions when the source of information and the learners are spatial and/or time separated.”

2. Correspondence Education

Correspondence education is a method of providing non-resident, particularly adult education in which lessons and exercises are posted through the mail or any other available means with the learners completing and posting for assessment, critique, and grading.

It is commonly used in business and industrial training, courses taken by members of armed forces, and women and men, and as part of a curriculum in educational systems of various global governments. They also enhance other forms of education and decreased the difficulties in independent studying expanding the opportunities of its implementation with the help of independent studying programs.

3. Continuing Education

General continuing education is related to adult education in the sense that it involves education that is offered to adult learners, and learners who are relatively older than the conventional college or university learners.

However, it is also commonly used in the sense of fundamentals for instance in reading, and English or as training in trade, vocational or other courses and as the name suggests it is assumed that the student already has a college degree and is ‘continuing’.

4. Dual Education

A dual system of vocational education is the system where apprenticeship at the enterprise and the practical training at vocational school are offered as a single course. Within the scope of the dual education, learners are trained in a company for three to five working days a week. The company is responsible for delivering the precise amount and quality requisite for students under the training specifications laid down per trade.

5. Rural Education

Rural Education helps in upgrading the standard of health services particularly of HIV/AIDS in the district, help in directing people on correct way of handling their natural environment, help in public education campaign by ensuring that children stay in school for as long as possible, help those who can become district teachers, and assists individuals to make positive changes through acquisition of marketable skills to become useful citizens in their societies.

6. Andragogy

Andragogy relates to methods of education for adults. It is often understood as the means of involving adults as active participants in the organisation of learning. In the recent decades, the research oriented and science based discipline of adult education has emerged known as andragogy.

It is a scholarly field in universities that covers the teaching of adults and andragogy is today practiced in every part of the world. The word pertains to a concept of a new approach to learning that is characterized not by missions and visions, but by academics like reflection, critiquing, history and other similar activities.

Importance of Non-Formal Education in Pakistan

Non-formal education benefits the society and education system in Pakistan as it holds immense significance in terms of education system in Pakistan. Let’s discuss few factors that shows the importance of non-formal education.

Addressing of Knowledge Disparities

The above challenge that non-formal learning poses over formal education is that the later’s was primarily pursued to minimize disparities, based on access to education. Pakistan having plural societies rural-urban split, gender disparity and regional disparity hence the strategies of non formal education programs can be devised with such marginalized societies in view. For example, the mobile schools, the community learning centers and the adult literacy are designed to provide education to the above targeted needy persons.

Empowering disempowered Communities

Another benefit of non-formal education is that it empowers those who are excluded from the society such as women, the minorities, and the poor. Thus, there have been place-and-personal courses to address their special needs and misfortune, which are typical of these constituents; by offering them tailored curriculum and time. 

Among such novel approaches can be named women education programs which is quite noteworthy in terms of progression towards delivering gender equality, changing established firm stereotypes, and thus creating positive effects on the well-being of whole group.

Promotion of Life living Learning Concept

Knowledge has nothing to do with classroom walls and concerns not only one specific age group of students. Non-formal education in Pakistan which is based on the concept of continuing education motivates mass to acquire Knowledge, adapt to the new lifestyle and be prepared for the change that depicts an ever evolving time in the globe.

It is where a concept of non formality of knowledge should be directed and it is particularly relevant to a country like Pakistan which requires its human resource to be in line with technology and globalization which cannot be accomplished without being continual beginner.

Skill Enhancing for Economic Growth

Non-formal knowledge is of great significance for skill development and leads to economic development. Such some of them are vocation training, apprenticeship and even the skill building plans.

It therefore implies that increased employment prospects enhance the creation of enterprises and inventive work in the society which assist in encouraging an economy.

Engaging the Communities and the Social Integration

Such non formal educational programmers are characterized by high level of community participation and support. When learning initiatives have the implementation and design done by the communities involved, it is almost like it is carrying more sustainable and meaningful learning. And it also forms the social capital which in turn eradicates the targeting and segregation between the various groups of people in the society and general embrace of education as the solution to the social ills.

Community Engagement and the Social Cohesion

Therefore, such non formal educational programs socially represent programs that are highly and strongly supported by community members. That is to mean, if the communities undertake ‘learning leadership’ implementation and design then it is nearly more sustainable and meaningful. This in its turn promotes social equity, the divisions between segments of society are eliminated and there is unity of the purpose – the education as the means that will improve the state of affairs.

Adaptation to Changing Educational Paradigms

Consequently, as the global knowledge paradigms lean progressively toward learner-centered and flexible models, Integration with non-formal education takes place in step. Distance classes, independent learning, and courses designed for a specific task are the trends of the day today in the era especially as they provide comfort.

It will therefore become possible to have an overall improvement of the quality coupled with relevance of education within Pakistan and hence build better futures for it citizens.

Challenges and the way forward

It is possible to note that there might be some problems within non-formal education, which can be numerous or even monumental. From these could be finance, the unavailability of trained instructors tothe standards that a formal system’s occupational requirement demands, or even the social realization to learning among others. Moreover, it is also emphasized that policy environment addressing non-formal education needs to be set as its role in the overall system of education was also confirmed.

Conclusion

Non-formal education steps into the strong position of a point to change through the character of combating discrepancy in education, empowering the disempowered societies, promoting life living learning, and exploring abilities, ways of appealing society, and flexible design, which is aware of new knowledge mechanics. Thus, with the goal in mind for Pakistan to achieve sustainable development and making human and social capital equitable, the option towards non-formal education and investment in the focus area become necessity and not a mere choice.