Formal and Non Formal Education - Free Essay Example

Education  in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the  mind,character  or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated  knowledge,  skills  and  values  from one generation to another. Etymologically, the word education is derived from  educare  (Latin) bring up, which is related toeducere  bring out, bring forth what is within, bring out potential and  ducere, to lead. 1] Teachers  in educational institutions direct the education of  students  and might draw on manysubjects, including  reading,  writing,  mathematics,  science  and  history. This process is sometimes called  schooling  when referring to the education of teaching only a certain subject, usually as professors at institutions of  higher learning. There is also education in fields for those who want specific  vocational  skills, such as those required to be a pilot. In addition there is an array of education possible at the  informal level, such as in museums and libraries, with the Internet and in life experience. Many non-traditional education options are now available and continue to evolve. Formal and Non Formal Education  has basic differences. Formal education is classroom-based, accompanied by trained teachers. Informal education happens outside the classroom, in after-school programs, community-based organizations, museums, libraries, or at home. Both formal and informal education settings offer different strengths to educational outreach project. After-school programs offer a different kind of environment, where ones activities dont need to be as formal and once can easily reach the audience. While both schools and after-school programs serve students, at school blossom in after-school settings. Real learning can happen in a setting where kids feel less intimidated or more comfortable than they do in a formal classroom. Education  is about teaching and learning  skills  and  knowledge. Education also means helping people to learn how to do things and encouraging them to think about what they learn. It is also important for educators to teach ways to find and use information. Through education, the knowledge f  society,  country, and of the  world  is passed on fromgeneration  to generation. In  democracies, through education,  children  and  adults  are supposed to learn how to be active and effective  citizens. t is part of the job of an  educator, an instructor,  teacher, or  tutor  to create a place for learning. There are many  different  kinds of education. Formal education Formal education is usually in  school, where a pe rson may learn basic, academic, or  trade  skills. Formal education begins in  elementary school  and continues with  secondary school. Post-secondary education (or higher education) is usually at a  college  or  university. Nonformal education Nonformal education is sometimes called adult  basic  education, adult  literacy  education or school equivalency preparation. In nonformal education an adult (or a youth who is not in school) can learn literacy, other basic skills or job skills. Nonformal education can be in small classes or through self study. [nformal education There is also informal education. For example, a parent teaches a child how to prepare a  meal. Someone can also get an informal education by reading many  books  from a  library. Informal education is when you are not studying in a school and dont use another particular  learning method. This article presents a conceptual framework for understanding the interrelationships among formal, nonformal and informal education. It provides a typology of modes of education across the life span, from childhood to old age. The nonformal education mode is the focus of the article as examples of programs for differing ages, sexes, social classes and ethnic groups are discussed. The third section of the article raises questions regarding the relationship between nonformal education for individual and social change within and across cultural and socio-economic groups. It also discusses the relationship between nonformal and formal education relative to their respective scope and outcomes. The author argues that educational resources must be viewed as interacting modes of emphasis rather than as discrete entities. Hence, all individuals are engaged in learning experiences at all times, from planned, compulsory and intentional to unplanned, voluntary and incidental. It is also argued that nonformal education may be more strongly associated with socio-economic, sex and ethno-religious groups than is formal education. Because of these strong socio-economic and cultural ties, the utility of nonformal education for social, as opposed to individual, change is often restricted. The value of nonformal, as opposed to formal, education for access to the opportunity structure for low socio-economic status populations is also questioned because of the greater legitimacy typically associated with schooling.

Childhood Vaccination - Free Essay Example

Childhood Vaccinations Infectious diseases have ravaged the world since recorded history. In the year 400 B.C. Hippocrates described mumps diphtheria, epidemic jaundice, and other conditions (6), indicating that disease was a recognized problem dating back thousands of years. Infectious diseases are bodily disorders caused by microorganisms, such as: bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. All kinds of organisms are present on the human body, ranging from beneficial to harmful. Under specific conditions, these organisms are given the ability to become diseases. Some examples of these microorganisms are pneumonia, tuberculosis, diphtheria, influenza and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Three categories are used to describe the intensity of an infectious disease: outbreak, epidemic, and pandemic. An outbreak is when multiple cases of a disease occur in an unexpected, but isolated, area. An epidemic is declared when there is a significant rise in the occurrence of a disease in a given region, while a pandemic occurs when an epidemic spreads worldwide and infects a large part of the human population. Even in modern times, outbreaks of disease threaten our civilization. Malaria is still rampant in tropical climates, causing thousands of deaths annually. This disease still lacks a safe and reliable vaccine, however physical measures have been installed for protection. The outbreak of H1N1 in 2009 was unexpected and became the most recent pandemic. Now, H1N1 is covered by the seasonal flu vaccine. Due to a decline in vaccinations, the MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) trio of diseases has had stronger outbreaks with more severe cases. As history shows, vaccinations are undeniably good for the masses. They control outbreaks and prevent death from controllable, infectious diseases. However, vaccinations and their implementation are controversial. There is a high cost of implementation of vaccines, especially since the government intervenes to try and make them affordable. There is also a strong belief that vaccines might have a detrimental effect on an individuals health, due to adverse reactions. Also, in some religions, vaccines are highly opposed. The delivery system of vaccines greatly affects the safe administration of the vaccine, through its manufacture and storage. Another controversial theory is that vaccines interfere with the natural order of things, causing viruses to evolve faster into more severe strains that vaccines with eventually be unable to prevent. A large portion of the costs of vaccines comes from the initial development. The governments intervention, specifically within the school systems, has also greatly affected the rates of elimination of common infectious diseases in the United States, diseases like: diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, smallpox, measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, and meningitis. With the requirement that students are immunized before attending school, a larger percentage of students are continuing to be up to date on their immunization records. The impact of vaccines on the individual is immense. There are many factors that contribute to successful vaccinations; therefore, there are many steps that could lead to an unsuccessful vaccination. The timing of the administration of the vaccine is important, is it more beneficial to inoculate early, or to inoculate a more mature immune system? Theres also controversy concerning the idea that giving too many vaccines at once hinders a persons immune system, while others say that giving them all at once gives the body more time to recover from all of them. The government has now required certain vaccinations be given to children before starting school, but is this violating a persons right to education and privacy? Do the benefits of children being vaccinated and preventing minor outbreaks at school outweigh the costs of losing rights? The delivery system of vaccines can impact the effectiveness and safety of vaccinations. The storage of vaccines, including location, temperature, and security, must be properly managed to ensure that the vaccine is able to prevent disease. Expiration dates cannot be exceeded for the same reason. Vaccines include preservatives that prolong shelf life. In the past, the common preservative was mercury or a related substance. Because mercury is believed to have adverse effects, it has been removed, but it is important that the preservatives are properly maintained to avoid causing problems for patients. Providers must handle the vaccines correctly to ensure that patients do not become ill because of improper sanitation. Training is essential to making sure that mistakes are prevented. Proper training will ensure that the provider recognizes patient conditions, like existing illnesses or known allergies, which could result in adverse reactions. One of the concerns that many parents have is that children are being inoculated against many diseases at such a young age. Parents fear that this aggressive timeline is too much for a young childs immune system to handle. Still others avoid vaccines because they believe that they will actually become sick with the disease they are being vaccinated against. This has been proven not to be true, but the concern continues. There are people who think that vaccinations should be stopped because they interfere with the natural order of life. Some proponents of that view believe that the deaths caused by the diseases are natures way of controlling the population or eliminating the weak members of society. Others fear that the diseases being controlled will mutate into diseases that are more deadly and/or unmanageable. Some religions believe that vaccinations conflict with Gods will, so they object to government requirements that children in school be vaccinated for certain diseases. It is interesting to note that there has been a rise in recent years regarding parents against vaccinations. It could almost be thought that history is somehow repeating itself; as there is increased security and safety, those who wish to be contrary rises. Even though there are many who have serious concerns about vaccinations, the vaccination programs in the United States and Europe have been so successful that they have inspired the 20th-century concept of disease eradication. This concept proposes that selected diseases could be eradicated from all human populations through global cooperation. The best example that supports this concept is that, in 1977, after a decade-long campaign involving 33 nations, smallpox was eradicated worldwide. Some parents also wonder, if the worst diseases have been eradicated, then why must their children receive vaccinations against them? Some are unable to see that diseases are still living organisms, which change and alter themselves over time. If there are many children that do not receive the smallpox vaccine, then that group is more susceptible to any disease that is derived of smallpox. Diseases are looking for ways to live too, which is why it is so shortsighted to believe that any kind of eradication would be a long-term solution. Conclusion Vaccinations are controversial, but they have been proven to save lives. Although individuals may have concerns about the safety, effectiveness, and/or appropriateness of vaccines and government vaccination programs, they continue to be developed and distributed worldwide. It would be highly beneficial, however, to begin providing parents with a more detailed explanation of what vaccines are, and what they do to protect children. Most distrust arises out of the fear of the unknown, so a very detailed immunization curriculum would likely aid in maintaining the percentage of youth and children being vaccinated.