Lifelong learning is becoming a necessary and increasingly important element of modern educational systems. Non-formal education plays an increasingly important role in them (courses, training, short programs that can be offered at any stage of education or professional career), as well as a formal one. Formal education is focused on the development of invariants and universals of culture: classical languages, formal languages (logic and mathematics), fundamentals of sciences, and classical art (Calvo de Mora & Kennedy, 2020). The role of informal learning has been discussed by prominent people like Plato, Rousseau, and Rogers. Hence, this paper aims to view the theoreticians’ perspective on informal education and apply it to teaching youth in a chosen setting.
The ancient Greek philosopher Plato was born in Athens in a family of aristocratic origin. Therefore, it was critical for him to obtain knowledge that helped him structure his own ideas on the educational system. For Plato (2007), upbringing and education determine not only the correct social organization of people but also give a person genuine spiritual freedom and the opportunity to navigate correctly in the world of enduring spiritual values. Informal education, in his view, incorporated growing one’s morale and becoming a just person. He claimed that the learning process could be divided according to age groups (Plato, 2007). It signifies that at first, children learn how to read, write, and speak at school, and then they master physical shape (Plato, 2007). Later, they hone their military craft, and then only the intellectually strong who stand out in this group continue their studies and, having mastered philosophy, become rulers of the state.
Even though his outlook may seem outdated, it is still applicable in today’s education. I teach 11-16-year-old individuals in the church and school settings, and from my experience, this model is still relevant to current practice. For instance, in church, youth primarily strive to seek religious and spiritual meaning in everything. According to Plato (2007), it helps develop their morale, which is the goal of education. While conducting a lunch club at school, I observe adolescents share different interests, from art to sport. As Plato (2017) noted, at the age of 16, humans attempt to achieve physical perfection. That is why many schoolers attend the gym or do different sports at this age.
The other theoretician whose writing is related to informal education is Jean-Jacque Rousseau. In his book Emile the philosopher attempts to provide his insights on learning and teaching. The author explains that children are raised from a very young age to serve in a corrupt society (Rousseau, 1993). He also raised a question about the Rousseau efficacy of home studies. Rousseau (1993) claims that “everything is good as it leaves the hands of the Author of things; everything degenerates in the hands of man” (p. 5). It implies that people are capable of becoming decent on their own – without sticking to rules that teach them to obey. In terms of education, it presupposes that some knowledge and qualities can be self-obtained.
This prism is applicable to my practice as well because I believe out-of-curriculum activities make my students more thoughtful. In church, the majority of youth attend Sunday service as a tradition – such a custom makes them more aware of their values. In addition, it allows them to develop morale which is good when they struggle to differentiate between good and evil. Therefore, by establishing their principles, they understand themselves more.
What is more, Alan Rogers has made a contribution to the study of the functions of informal education. According to Rogers (2014), non-formal learning is related to a structured out-of-classroom curriculum aimed at a child’s cognitive and social development. It primarily helps one socialize and make connections when not in school. Extracurricular activities demand not solely mastering one’s skill but also require making connections with peers (Calvo de Mora & Kennedy, 2020). Modern trends in non-formal education in the world consist of the fact that the opposition of non-formal education to formal state education is softened, and complementarity relations are established between them.
Implementing this approach to my practice, I noticed how, prior to mastering activity-related skills, youths primarily establish contact with one another. It facilitates the process of knowledge acquisition and boosts their results. It also contributes to the development of a healthily competitive environment where students see each other as equals. In addition, since the educational trend aims towards combining formal and non-formal education, my students typically choose courses concerning the development of extra-interest-related skills. It is incredible to observe one of my students taking algebra courses and participating in scientific conferences for youth.
In conclusion, Plato, Rousseau, and Rogers have made decent contributions to the study of non-formal education by specifying that this process occurs in an out-of-classroom environment and that it has to deal with socialization. All theoreticians’ approaches are seen in my practice with young individuals in school and church settings. By engaging in extracurricular activities, they expand their knowledge and learn to be socially active. On the whole, informal education remains a powerful self-exploration tool.
References
Calvo de Mora, J., & Kennedy, K. (2020). Schools and informal learning in a knowledge-based world. Routledge.
Plato. (2007). The republic. (Lee, D., Trans.). Penguin.
Rogers, A. (2014). Non-formal education: Flexible schooling or participatory education? Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Rousseau, J. (1993). Emile. (Foxley, B., Trans.). Everyman.