Formal .V. Informal education

One of the feeds that I read avidly because it is always thought provoking and at the cutting edge of creative educational thought is the feed to Flux - the blog of FutureLab.

In continuation of the theme of what makes education education Emma Agusita writes:

There are a number of central characteristics evident in informal education practices which reveal a persuasion for socially just’ and holistic approaches:
Relinquishing control of the learning process
redefining the value of what constitutes learning
encouraging self-awareness & reflection
facilitating critical skills, freethinking & experimentation
engaging though innovation and equal access & participation

All of these factors are exciting but, at this time, the one of these that really interests me is the 'relinquishing of control' ... I am anxious that childhood should not be wasted on conventional, institutional education but should, by design not chance, be focused where the child is. By gradual progression and sympathetic mentoring learners should develop their own sense of learning and then 'buy' at the intitutions the learning that is for them.

Institutional education is still in its infancy and has not yet grasped the concept of being a 'service industry'. It fails to inform its buyers of the products it has in a way that makes them accessible. By attempting to be fair and equable it has developed a grand 'several sizes fits all' approach which is not personalisation.

We have exciting ways to go yet.