Characteristic of Non-Formal Education
Non formal education is like formal institution in shape, but the spirit is individual - centric, learner-centric. It gives first priority to the choice, needs and problems of the learner and provides good and systematic education to a larger group through various modes.
There are the characteristics of non-formal education, there are: purposefully and systematically, clear-cut goal, flexible, organized, different advanced forms of methods, various educational programmers, and has principles. (a) It is purposefully and systematically created. It means that non-formal education specifically in the purpose to teach the students who study in there. (b) It has a clear-cut goal to provide education to the mass. So, someone who passes from non-formal education, they are able to increase their ability and skill that related in the society. (c) It is very flexible and liberal type of education taking the numerous differences of individual in account. The meaning of the statement is non-formal education can be held in anytime and the students from this group is not limited and not always same. (d) It is organized for a homogeneous group of deprived worker class, women, and dropouts. In this non-formal education, anyone can join in here, not limited by ages, profession, and genre. (e) It uses different advanced forms of methods including audio-visual aids for quick transaction of information and teaching. The teaching learning processes that happen in non-formal education is not same with in formal education. Non-formal education has their own strategy, method, and technique to make the students easier in the process of learning. (f) It can touch every doorstep with a package of various educational programmers. This is meaning that non-formal education is able to make students who need private to study it. So the teacher can arrive from home to home. (g) It is based on the principle “Learn while you earn and learning according to your pace and your place”. It is meaning that everything in our surrounding can be learning, we not only learn from school, but also in out of school everyone can increase their knowledge and ability.
Types of Non Formal Education
According to law No. 20, 2003 about national education system that meaning with definition of non-formal education is an education in out of formal education that can be held structured and step by step. In here there are many kind of non-formal education that can we meet in Indonesia, there are:
(a) Public hall education developing out of school education and youth (BP-PLSP)
BP- PLSP is a technical organizer unit in the area of national education department in out of school education area. BP-PLSP has duty to implement recited and development program 23 and also facilitated development resource out of school education building on policy from national education department.
(b) Public hall development learning activity (BPKB)
BPKB is technical organizer unit in the of province education official in out of school area. BPKB has duty to develop the model education program in out of school related with the policy of province official education and province characteristic.
(c) Small house temple learning activity (SKB)
SKB is technical organizer unit in the official education of regency or city in out of school education. SKB in general has duty to make exampling of teaching muatan lokal material related from policy of official regency education and local potential in the territory.
(d) Central social learning activity (PKBM)
PKBM is a certain institute social property that the manufacture of it is using principle from, to, and for the society. PKBM constitute of learning ideas and social powering so they e able to accomplish their needs. PKBM constitute source information and organized in many kind of education learning activity, education of live qualification as realization education in long life.
(e) Institute of PNF
Institute of PNF is kinds of education institution that grows and develops in society, which gives non-formal education service orientates life skills and not groping in the kind of institutions above, like as: LPTM, woman organization, LSM and another kind of social organization.
From the explanation above, the writer just gives some point of views about characteristics and types of non-formal education. It hopes that our minds can think that formal or non formal education is good enough each other.