The Power of Non-Formal Education

At an early age, and without questioning it, we are introduced to this predetermined education system, running from primary school to university, and that it is characterized by its thorough structure (although it may slightly differ from country to country). This standardized architecture, about which students end up complaining a lot, because for at least twelve years we are subjected to the same methods and daily routine, where the classroom becomes our second bedroom, is named formal education.

Therefore, conceptually speaking, formal education is based on a theoretical curriculum, whose final product is the acquisition of qualifications and certificates, which is perhaps the reason why the system has become flawed in itself: students end up worrying and focusing more about grades than learning.

Nonetheless, fortunately I got the chance to know the power of non-formal education through Erasmus+ mobility projects and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programs. They are developed and financed by the European Commission, and even though they are different – while the former provides youth exchanges, training courses, etc, where young people gather in a place and share knowledge on a specific topic, the latter focuses on short and long-term volunteering projects under a specific association – both have in common its basis, which is to show that it is possible to acquire knowledge and improve skills in a different context than that of the normal school pattern.

Thus, non-formal education refers to programmes and processes designed to improve a range of skills and competences, outside the formal educational curriculum (for instance, youth organisations). The emphasis is on learning, instead of teaching, through a variety of resources and technologies, which explains the existence of facilitators (and not teachers), who give the tools, so that the learner can understand by him/herself the importance of acquiring new knowledge (sometimes even about subjects that are not our field of study) and improving skills.  

A great example of the above is precisely this short-term volunteering project with ANDER Association (that, unfortunately, has come to an end). It is profoundly enriching in so many ways: it is about building up our skills (teamwork, problem-solving, social media management, time management); stepping out of our comfort zone and dealing with new environments, cultures, opinions; dealing with difficulties and challenges; and learning with other peoples’ experiences, backgrounds.

In summary, it is worth mentioning that the purpose is not to replace one by the other, but to integrate non-formal education in a better way. They are complementary and “mutually reinforcing elements of a lifelong learning process”. It’s mandatory to have this non-formal element because it’s the way to acquire skills useful for their social inclusion, personal growth and democratic engagement.

Inês Martins