Non-formal education - Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

In their programs civil society organizations focus on personal development, social and civic
competences, and satisfaction of other educational needs related to human rapidly changing
environmental reality. Since the needs of adults in Belarus in acquiring new knowledge and upgrading
of acquired go far beyond the existing state system of vocational education and training, non-profit
organizations and institutions are flexible enough to try and flexibly respond to the ever increasing
demand.
Despite their small number, they set fashion for new forms of organization of educational programs
and are in the forefront of many processes not only in the field of adult education, but education in
general. Non-formal education in a sector of non-governmental organizations is above all a sphere of
exploration, innovation, experimentation, trial and error. Methods, form and content are implemented
in non-formal education if for various reasons theycannot be realized in the formal education system.
They can go there though field of testing and adaptation to be tested for strength and survival. All the
best and viable then can enrich formal education.
1. It’s very important that the educational programs of non-profit non-governmental organizations
focus more on results than on process. Participation in them is based solely on the principle of
voluntariness, if expectations of motivation are not met and training is not beneficial, then they can
simply vote “with their feet.”
2. In the non-formal education, as a rule, there is no such thing as a school year. Duration of
training in the non-formal sector can last from one hour (for example, a separate chapter), a few days
(training) to several years (long course). And experience shows that short-term training courses are
dominated in non-formal education in Belarus. One person in a year can attend a variety of educational
activities of one or more organizations. In the non-formal area there is also a huge number of training
programs, which have nothing in common with each other 20 .
3. In the “third sector” innovative educational practice approaches, directions and active learning
(interactive, role-playing and simulation, case-study, simulation, etc.), different types of educational
technologies (open space, workshop of future, World Café, peer education, study circles for adults,
etc.)are very widely used
Actively developing education for socially vulnerable categories of citizens is an area of adult education,
which directly helps to relieve tension and develop the country’s stability. With no exaggeration we can say
that adult education is an effective instrument of social adaptation and re-integration in society.
A special place belongs to education for older people: not only new educational programs for older
people to help them feel more comfortable in the new information environment, but also innovative
forms of learning that involve active and responsible inclusion of older people into educational process
as a sort of co-authors trainingare gradually starting to be introduced.
Leaders in this area of non-formal adult education in Belarus are representatives from both capital
and regions, especially you can select the project “Golden Age University” realizedby NGO Center
for Information Support of Civic Initiatives“the Third Sector” in Grodno, and activities for the practical
implementation of the concept “Institute of the Third Age” in Brest by Brest city public association of
psychologists and the public association “Logos.”
In the expansion of access of older people to educational services in Minsk and Minsk region, as
well as in Brest and Brest region makes an important contribution to the project «TOLLAS – Towards
Active society at any age”, implemented by dvv international representation through registered society
«Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband eV» (Germany) in the Republic of Belarus, the International NGO
“Education Without Borders” and the whole pool of “associate partners” – the involvement of non-state
and state organizations. Also an active player in this field is the International NGO “Understanding,”
supported by German Federal Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future”, perform a longterm
program “The venue – the dialogue,” in which a lot of attention is given to education of elder
people. The main objectives of these projects are to provide an opportunity for older people to play
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Жураковский В. Стандарты оценки деятельности организаций неформального образования //«Теория и
практика некоммерческих организаций и местных сообществ». Бюллетень МПОО «АКТ». Выпуск от 07.11.2006.
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