Formal Education vs. Non-Formal Education: Key Differences, Features, and Comparison

S.L.	Formal Education	Non-Formal Education
1.	Limited to a period of teaching.	Life is long and not limited to any period of being taught.
2.	Generally not integrated with work.	Integrated with work.
3.	Has fixed points of entry and exit.	Has flexible points of entry, exit, re-entry, and re-exit. It continues throughout the life span of the individual.
4.	Has a fixed points curriculum.	Has a diversified and varied curriculum.
5.	In it, the ‘giver’ dominates and the ‘receiver’ is rather passive.	A process of sharing, exploring, analyzing, and judging together.
6.	Geared to knowledge acquisition	A process of enabling the individual to understand his needs, the environmental situations, and mutual relationships.
7.	Foster's uncritical obedience.	An open-ended process of education that develops self-reliant awareness.
8.	Works within a fixed social frame.	Anticipates and prepares for change.
9.	Associated with traditional schooling, schooling is confined to a school or a college, etc.	Not confined to any educational set-up.
10.	Rigid concerning various aspects of education, i.e., admissions, curriculum, place of instruction, mode of instruction, the time and duration of instruction.	Very flexible concerning various aspects of education.

 References: Sociology of Education by S.S. Chandra & R. K. Sharma