Ways of institutionalizing non-formal education and mechanisms for validating and evaluating learning outcomes obtained outside formal education

Abstract

The article analyses scientific discourse on non-formal education and highlights the prerequisites for its transformation into a leading trend in the modern education system. It justifies this educational trend systemically and methodologically. Likewise the article proves the deactualization of interpretations of non-formal education as an auxiliary link in professional and personal development. It shows that underestimating one’s potential leads to social losses and direct economic costs. The research is based on the following algorithm: generalizing findings of a terminological analysis of non-formal education; determining its links with formal and informal components of the education system; specifying factors in strengthening its role in modern society; visualizing findings with Eurostat’s statistical information on participation rate in education and training (last 4 weeks) by type, sex, age and educational attainment level obtained between 2010 and 2019. Finally, the article analyzes how the outcomes of non-formal education are recognized all over the world. It discloses the experience of some countries regarding the mechanisms of recognizing learning outcomes obtained outside of formal education.

Keywords

• non-formal education
• lifelong education
• recognition of learning outcomes
• validation.