nãoformal

Não formal refers to organized learning activities that occur outside the formal schooling system. These activities are typically voluntary, structured with specific objectives and duration, but they do not constitute formal education within accredited institutions and do not usually lead to a state-recognized diploma. Non-formal learning differs from informal learning, which happens incidentally in daily life without a planned curriculum or certification.

Key features include explicit goals, a planned syllabus, trained instructors, and assessment or certification provided by the program itself. However, the credentials issued may not be part of a national qualifications framework, or may be recognized only through mechanisms such as recognition of prior learning (RPL) or credit transfer where available.

Examples of não formal learning include adult literacy and language courses, vocational training programs, community education, workplace training, youth programs, cultural or recreational courses, and many online courses that do not confer formal degrees.

Policy and recognition frameworks acknowledge não formal education as a component of lifelong learning and social inclusion. National programs increasingly seek to document and validate learning outcomes from non-formal activities and integrate them into qualifications frameworks, though practices vary by country.

Impact and challenges: non-formal learning can enhance employability, civic participation, and personal development, particularly for adults, marginalized groups, and out-of-school youth. Challenges include ensuring quality, portability of credits, and inconsistent recognition across institutions and borders.

In lusophone contexts, educação não formal or não formal learning is used in policy and practice to describe these activities as a complement to formal schooling and a source of lifelong skills.