Non-formal education a boost in educating teenagers

Written by: Emanuela Babusanu

Daniela Panainte
Motto:
The first mistake our young should be kept away from, is the mild encouragement of
mediocrity (Titu Maiorescu 1868)
Fleas can accomplish impressive jumps in contrast to their minuscule size. Its like
people could jump up to 7 meters high without major difficulties. There has been done an
experiment with a few dozen of fleas in a fishbowl. As expected, almost all managed to jump
out. Then they were put in again, but this time the bowl was covered with a glass lid. Every time
they tried to jump out they hit the lid. After some time, the lid was removed, but neither of the
fleas even tried jumping.
Sky is the limit for the youth we are educating. However, formal education due to its
rigor, abstract notions, teaching methods sets some limits, which become a source of
demotivation for students, who in turn get less interested in whatever happens in the classroom.
Lending support to the formal way of learning, non-formal education comes and completes the
circle of training. This type of education has its basis in the educational influences coming from
outside the classroom, in the form of extradidactical or optional and voluntary activities. Their
main feature is less fomal but more habit-forming. The training activites, part of this type of
education, are flexible and meet every persons interests and needs.
Non-formal education means every educational activity organized outside the current
formal system either developed separately or as an important integrative element of a wider
activity which is meant to meet the educational needs of a certain group and which follows
clear learning goals.
The specific pedagogical goals of nonformal training complete the resources of formal
education at the level of vocational coordinates: supporting the pupils and students with
special or minimal chances of school or professional success etc; encouraging the development
of students personality and local community so that they can reach higher levels of performance
and competence, relevant from intellectual, moral, technological, aesthetic and physical point of
view; capitalizing properly from the designing and accomplishing strategies of those activities
(educational and professional training, free time activities).
There are two types of nonformal education, vaying according to the specific activities:
-

Extradidactical activities: circles according to specific domains, sports and artistic

groups, contests, Olympic contests;
Extracurricular activities: eco-friendly and civic projects, trips, socio-cultural
activities ( part of the pupils club, at the museum, theatre, library etc.)

Any adult would agree that younsters of nowadays find motivating only mobile phones,
the latest cars or scooters and surprisingly English, because it gives them the opportunity of
communicating with others from around the world using the socioal networks, overcoming the
language barriers. However, when they are asked to learn English thoroughly more than 50%
lose their interest. Teachers of English from Ion Mincu Technological High School try and

succeed to intermingle in the daily routine formal activity the new elements offered by the
extradidactical ones, thus raising pupils interest for study and school in general. The result
consists of real communicative competence, useful all life long.
An example of good practice is Halloween. Every year around
October , 31, on a certaind pre-established day, students are encouraged to
come to school wearing costumes and make up suitable to the American
tradition. Moreover some even decorate their entire class according to the
holiday tradition. This constitutes a good opportunity for students to interact
with adults almost freely, and at least one a year each and everyone can play
a different role than usual. There are contests like The scariest pumpkin or
The most terrifying character. Students are encouraged to make up and
share scary stories or frightening riddles. Thus American cultural elements
are assimilated unconsciously, and education and school consequently
become a source of fun and creativity.
Futhermore, between the 1st -6th of April 2012 the
Romanian school system organized the Scoala Altfel ( The
different school) week, when teachers of English have come up
with the idea of doing a workshop called Crafts from
recyclable materials. Hence students have learned the
importance of reusing and re-creating normally un-useful
materials, promoting a correct and healthy attitude towards the
environment in an entertaining atmosphere.
In addition, during the same week, teachers of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and
Biology have offered students the possibility to watch short movies created by the Discovery
Channel in partnership with The Romanian Ministry of Education (M.E.C.T.S), called The
Discovery School. These documentaries can also be watched directly on the Discovery Channel.
Besides these, celebrating The Schools Days, students of different ages have performed
in English in front of a public a short play, in which they integrated lines fron their daily
language in a fictional grammar lesson. The play and the lesson ends with a song based on the
irregular verb list, sung by students in a hip-hop rythm.
In Romania nonformal education has tradition and some valuable lements which should
be passed on: education is conceived in its whole, for society and directed towards local
particularity. Nonformal education is considered a boost, a great support in completing a young
persons education. Moreover, if formal education can end at the moment of graduating a level,
nonformal training can associated with lifelong learning.
Bibliography:
1. Costea, Cerkez, Sarivan-Educaia nonformal i informal, realiti i perspective n
coala romneasc. E.D.P. Bucureti
2. Neag, Certan- Curs Program IMPACT,F.N.O.
3. www.tinact.ro
4. www.educativ.info/form2.html
5. iec.psih.uaic.ro