TYPES OF EDUCATION

    Education is not just only attendance at schools and the consequent acquisition of certificates. Rather, it could be said to embrace the following major areas:

(i).  The formal training that is given in schools leading to acquisition of skills in reading and writing.

(ii).  The specialized training that enables one to acquire skills in certain fields , and in wider sense.

(iii).  The training of the entire person to enable him to fit for decent living in a given society.

From this, it can be  appreciated that education is more than what goes on in the schools. This has led scholars to identify three basic types of education. Ayeni (1994) identified them as informal, formal and non_ formal education. 

          INFORMAL EDUCATION

    This is sometimes referred to as Traditional Education. It is seen by some people as the oldest form of education and still continues till present day. In this type of education, no classrooms, no professionally trained and recognized teachers and no deliberately designed syllabus, scheme of work or time-table. The type of education is given as occasion demands but it is meaningful, qualitative, effective and suitable. It takes place naturally throughout life as individuals go about their normal daily routine. Parents, elders and neighbours are the two an process adopted include imitation, observation, direct instruction and unconscious absorption of some virtues and values recognized by the society as in farming, hunting, weaving, courtesy, trading, local craft, fishing, etc. This type of education touches every aspect of our life - our habits of speech, our methods of work, our styles of dress, our recreational activities, our love of beauty, our hatred of evil, our respect for elders, our concern for children, our care of the old and our sympathy for the weak and helpless. Ayeni (1994) sum it up by saying that this type of education"prepares us for a full life and for useful and acceptable membership of our immediate society".

        FORMAL EDUCATION

     This is also known as Western Education and it usually entails teaching- learning process in a formal school setting. It is also type of education with set of rules, organization and pattern.Formal education is thus a formalized, systematic, organized and hierarchically structured type of education. It takes place within the four walls of classrooms in organized school environment.

     Teachers in a formal education setting are professionals who have been trained and certificated. Also, the contents of the curriculum are well graded to suit the age, ability, level and needs of the learners.

    Students are also certificated at the end of a school programme. It is highly controller and regulated at all levels. The main aim of formal education is to prepare the learners to live with others in the society and to understand the world around him. It also tries to equip the learners with relevant vocational or professional education so as to enable it's recipients (learners/students) to serve others and earn a living.

      NON- FORMAL EDUCATION

    This refers to the learning of activities and skills outside the formal school setting. Such activity may operate separately or as apart of a wider set if activities. This type of education may also be delibrate you planned, staffed, financed and executed. Also , the content nay ba academic in nature or just skills acquisition based and may be on part-time or full-time basis. However, there may be no target-audience as in formal education and their teachers are those who have acquired knowledge and skills through the apprenticeship system. Examples here include tailoring, weaving, rewinding, sewing and knitting, hair-dressing, dyeing, trading, repair works, etc. So also examples of deliberately planned non-formal education would include scouting activities, girls guide boys brigade, young farmers club sporting and recreational activities.

    Training in non-formal education is always through direct instruction by the master or his representative who nay be the most senior apprentice. There are no syllabuses to be followed and the procedure to be used, us usually determined by the master or his personal in tuition and the demand of the job at hand. The duration of the course may depend on agreement between both parties and their witness. Sometimes, training and financial support can be given by parents, organizations, community or even the government.