Formal education is planned with defined aims and curriculum, takes place in schools/colleges, and involves qualified teachers and discipline. Informal education is spontaneous learning from one's environment without curriculum or teachers. Non-formal education is structured learning outside formal schools to meet specific groups' needs, like adult education programs.

1. Characteristics of education
(A) Formal Education
Highlights
(i) Planned with a particular end in view.
(ii) Limited to a specific period.
(iii) Well-defined and systematic curriculum
(iv) Givenby specially qualified teachers.
(v) Includes activities outside the classroom
(vi) Observesstrict discipline.
(i) Planned with a particular end in view
Formal education is planned with a particular end in view. It is givenin school, college and similar
other institutions which are established with the purpose. In this way it is direct schooling,
instruction and tuition.
(ii) Limited to a specific period
Formal education is limited to a specific periodor stage. It is providedaccordingto certainset rule
and regulations. It is in the formof systematic, planned and guided instruction.
(iii) Well-defined and systematic curriculum
Forma education has a well-defined and systematic curriculum. Thiscurriculumis based on certain
aims and objectives. These aimsare in conformity withthe needs of the society and the state-.
(iv) Given by specially qualified teachers
Formal education given by specially qualifiedteachersthey are supposed to be efficient in the art of
instruction.
(v) Includes activities outside the class-room
In modern progressive schools, the processof educationis not merely restrictedthe four walls of the
class-room. There are more activitiesoutside the class-roomthan inside it.
(vi) Observes strict discipline
Formal education observesstrict discipline. The pupil and the teacher are bothaware of the fact an
engage themselvesin the processof education.
It may, however, be mentioned that any processof teaching which involvessupervision, instruction,
set plan, definite aims and principles amounts to formal education.
(B) Informal Education
Highlights
(i) Incidental and spontaneous
(ii) Not-pre-planned.
(iii) Not imparted by any specialisedagency.
(iv) No prescribedtime-table or curriculum.

2. (v) May be negative also
(i) Incidental and spontaneous
Informaleducation is incidents and spontaneous. There is no consciouseffort involvedinit.
Courtesiesgentleness, etc. learnt in a market place or in a hotel or in one's sitting roomamount to
informal education.
(ii) Not-pre-planned nor deliberate
Informaleducation is an educative activity whichis neither pre-planned nor deliberate. The child
learns many habits, manners and patterns while living with othersor movingin different spheres
like home, society, groupsetc.
(iii) Not imparted by any specialised agency
Unlike formaleducation, informal education is not imparted by any specialised agency such as
schoolor college.
(iv) No prescribed time-table or curriculum
Informaleducation is not given accordingto any fixedtime-table or through formal means of
education. There is no set curriculum required. Informaleducation consistsin experiencesand
actual living in the family or community.
(v) May be negative education also
Informaleducation may take to negative directionalso. Instances are not rare when one learns
stealing, or some other formsof misbehaviour fromthe experienceswhich the child may casually
have in the street, in the market, in the cinema hall or in some other such place.
In the words of an expert, InformalEducationis "the process, by which a person imbibes attitudes,
developsskills, cultivatesvaluesand acquiresknowledge, without there being any organisation or
systemabout it. Thiswould include the deliberate attempts of parents and elders in the family and
community to help the young ones grow and adapt themselvesto the environment. Informal
Education would also include all incidental learning that takesplace while at work or at play and
during travels-aswell as spontaneous learning through films, radio and television."
(C) Non-Formal Education
Non-formaleducation is one of the recent conceptsgetting into use. Indian involvement in non-
formal educationhas increasedas a result of our interest in making educationa life-long affair rather
than a matter of formalschooling.
Highlights
(i) Derivedfrom the expression'formaleducation.
(ii) Outside the realm of formaleducation.
(iii) Conscious and deliberate.
(iv) To be organised for a homogeneous group.
(v) Serving the need of the identified group.
(i) Derived from the expression 'formal education
The expression'non-formal' in non-formal education has been derive fromthe expression'formal'in
formal educationby using the pre-fix non-

3. (ii) Outside the realm of formal Education
Unlike inform educationwhich is unstructured, spontaneous and without formality non-formal
educationwould be structuredand planned, but outside realm of formaleducation. "Any organised,
systematic educationactivity, carriedoutside the framework of the established formal system
whether operating separately or as an important feature of some broad activity, that is intended to
serve identifiable learning clienteles ai learning objectives."
(iii) Conscious and deliberate
Non-formaleducation consciously anddeliberately organised and systematically implemented.
(iv) To be organised for a homogeneous group
Non-formaleducation should be organised for a homogeneousgroup. Such a grot has to be identified
in terms of the learning needs of the group member
(v) Serving the need of the identified group
Non-form, education should be programmed to serve the needs of the identify group. Thiswill
necessitate flexibility in design of the curriculumand the scheme of evaluation.