Types of Education
Education refers to the process by which a person develops his understanding of his world. Education is an act of realizing a desiderate standard of the society. This process also involves the learning of social, psychological, technical and educational skills. Education includes the whole range of human learning and the application of those skills in the life of a person. Education is the process by which a person acquires knowledge, skills, emotions, values, attitudes, and aptitude for learning. Education systems include formal education, schooling, home schooling, and vocational education.
Education is categorized as either formal or non-formal. Formal education is conducted by educators and other qualified professionals, whereas non-formal education is conducted by qualified laymen or women who may not have education degrees. Education helps in promoting awareness and helping people to develop their individual potential. Education helps in building a conducive environment for learning.
Education includes three main elements formal, informal, and independent. Formal education starts with the learning of any specific subject by people at the primary level, including teachers, authorities and other qualified personnel from the education sector. This includes classroom instruction, teaching of material in schools and colleges, professional education and training. The curriculum used in formal education ranges from pre-school up to higher secondary school. Informal education begins with children and continues through college or vocational training.
Education in India has a vital role to play in social progress, development of personality, economic prosperity and stress on physical health. In India, education has been widely recognized as a key instrument in promoting social progress. Education is promoted by federal and state governments and recognized by a majority of the international organizations including United Nations. It forms an important element in civil society. Individuals play a vital role in promoting education and often donate towards its causes.
There are several government programs and non-formal education options available in numerous awareness programs to increase the number of children undergoing education. A major part of formal education is taught in state universities and colleges, but this figure is slowly declining over the years. Numerous awareness programs and various voluntary work options have helped in reducing the ratio of students opting for higher education.
Education plays a vital role in shaping a person’s life and therefore should be offered at various levels from pre-school to higher secondary. However, in India, the formal education system is widely preferred due to set norms and discipline, which cannot be achieved by non-formal learning process. Further, a formal education ensures standardization, and a student cannot move on if he has not gained adequate knowledge. Another advantage of a formal education system is that it gives students a chance to interact with their peers and older students who can help mold them into a better person. On the other hand, non-formal education system gives the student the freedom to pick whatever interest him; one has to do well in a particular subject to be able to do so.