In most conceptualizations, both non-formal and informal education are defined as education that takes place outside of a formal setting. If the main factor that distinguishes the two from formal education is the oppositional educational setting or context, then the existence of both non-formal and informal education is redundant.

Grinnell College

Despite its limited acceptance, most countries have yet to validate the existence of non-formal education due to:

- Contested definitions of non-formal and informal education
- Vague boundary between informal and formal education

Controversy of Non-Formal Education

Any form of education that does not have a set educational objective or structure but instead focuses on solving specific problems or learning specific skills. In informal education, the teacher and student can be the same person.

Informal Education

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Despite their differences, informal and formal education are not disparate concepts and do have overlap between them. Assuming that the overlap is a blend of the two concepts, then the conceptualization of non-formal education as a methodology that exists between formal and informal education is redundant.

Vague Boundary Between Informal and Formal Education

Contested Definitions of Non-Formal and Informal Education

Attributes that exist within the learner or teacher in informal education that facilitates or hinders the educational process.

Nomological Component of Informal Education

Attributes that exist within informal education independent of individual attributes of the learner or teacher that must be there for the educational process to occur.

Contextual Component of Informal Education

- Unschooling
- Autodidactism/Self-Teaching
- Incidental Education
- Mentorship

Examples of Informal Education

A set of beliefs that dictate a particular methodology in informal education that then reinforces the original beliefs. As it is still unstructured, the orientation relates to how information is distributed instead of denoting a formal methodology.

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