Informal education: Informal education is education that is not organised. Informal learning can be either intentional (e.g. participation in short lectures or reading books or journals) or unintentional (occurring by chance or as a by-product of everyday activities). See also Formal education and Non-formal education. 

 

Formal education: Formal education is defined as education provided in the system of schools, colleges, universities and other formal educational institutions and that normally constitutes a continuous ladder of full-time education for children and young people, generally beginning at age 5 to 7 and continuing up to 20 or 25 years old or above. In some countries, the upper parts of this ladder consist of organised programmes of joint part-time employment and part-time participation in the regular school and university system: such programmes have come to be known as the “dual system”, or other equivalent terms, in these countries. See also Non-formal education and Informal education.

 

Non-formal education: Non-formal education is defined as any organised and sustained educational activities that do not correspond exactly to the above definition of formal education. Non-formal education may therefore take place both within and outside educational institutions, and cater to persons of all ages. Depending on country contexts, it may cover educational programmes to impart adult literacy, basic education for out-of-school children, life skills, work skills and general culture. Non-formal education programmes do not necessarily follow the ladder system, and may have a differing duration. See also Formal education and Informal education.

 

Oecd. (2010). Glossary. In Education at a glance 2010: OECD indicators                  http://www.oecd.org/document/52/0,3343,en_2649_39263238_45897844_1_1_1_37455,00.html