Formal Versus Informal Education : The importance of informal education for a livable society

The society of tomorrow hinges heavily on the kind of education we dish out to the child today. The educators have a crucial role to play behind the informal education of the child, which is no other than his manners. If a child is stuffed with rubbish, he will think and feel rubbish. The child gets his first education from his cradle at home.

As he grows up, he learns from his parents what to do and what not to do and what needs to be done. He is taught to accept others, to share what he has with them, thus he is being inculcated with the spirit of tolerance and generosity. He is taught how to behave vis-à-vis his elders. His behaviour in the street, in the bus, in class is stocked up with education. He is taught to accept the good and to reject the evils. It lies with the educators (mostly parents and teachers) to tell him that without manners, he will be an outcast. On the other hand, manners will make him an exact man and will build up his personality.

Formal vs Informal

If a man needs Formal education to earn his living, he also needs Informal education to live socially. The role of the educators behind the behaviour of the child is material, especially that of the parents. If a child is bankrupt of manners, the blame shall be laid roundly at the door of the parents. They have failed in their duties as educators. They should on no account try to fix the blame on the back of others, looking for scapegoat like nani, nana, dadi, dada.

They should assume fully their responsibilities vis-à-vis the education of their ward. Besides, if ever the child takes the wrong path, people will point an accusing finger against them.

Education can help create a better environment and a healthy society. It is a mighty weapon which can be used to combat the many evils which are causing an untold harm to our society. We can use it to beat down the rate of crime, violence and robbery, and reduce the number of rapists, hooligans and vandals. It is a redoubtable weapon the fight against drug-trafficking, to bring home to the young the ill-effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. The child himself will be able to live a better and fuller life, and to avoid the many pitfalls which an otherwise misbehavior would have led him into. Many prejudices can be ironed out, many barriers can be pulled down, many prisons can be closed down with a judicious education. Just imagine the power of Education!

« L’Education n’est pas seulement l’Instruction.» Otherwise we shall be having a society of intellects but bankrupt of manners. Man needs both Formal and Informal Education to enable him to live a fuller life. Both must be there to make him a complete and an exact citizen.

Therefore it is the bounden duty of the educators to see that our young get a balanced education – Formal Education to enable them earn their living and Informal Education to help them have a place in the society of tomorrow, besides making that society livable, « où il fait bon vivre. »
A livable society must be imperatively endowed with education. In a society where there is bankruptcy of education, people simply exist but do not live. We must begin to believe in the value of education and give it all its importance to save our society from an inevitable degradation unless we prefer existence to life, and take it for granted as a fatality.