On average, children spend around 1,000 hours per year at school — leaving over 5,000 waking hours that could be spent developing friendships and new skills. While traditional schooling remains the most common form of education, non-formal online learning has emerged as a complementary solution to fill in learning gaps.
E-learning platforms are uniquely positioned to help children make the most of their free time. From developing specific skills such as negotiation and critical thinking to a higher emphasis on practice than theory, it can expand on the concept of life-long learning and lead to a more versatile education.
Akvilė Bartaševičiūtė, the founder of FRIENDOLAND — an intercontinental non-formal e-school with classes for children aged 6-17 — says that often non-formal education helps to improve a child’s performance at formal schooling as well.
“The main goal of non-formal education is to improve various skills and supplement formal education,” she explained. “I think it is important to collaborate and make sure children get the best from both. There should be no competition, both formal and non-formal education should complement each other.”
How could e-learning improve a child’s formal education?
One of the main benefits of non-formal education is its voluntary nature. Children may sign up for classes that are not covered in traditional curricula purely because they express interest in them, as opposed to formal schools, where participation is mandatory and evaluated via tests. Without fear of failing an exam or falling behind schedule, students may demonstrate higher rates of motivation and productivity.
In addition, non-formal education places emphasis on building skills traditional schools usually miss out on. Pupils can often choose from various subjects — anything from Debates to Sustainability — meaning they get an early start on developing a unique portfolio of abilities. Cultural awareness can also be promoted through online platforms, where children from all around the globe can study together and experience different cultures and traditions, which helps build a globally-minded skill set.
“Non-formal learning often seeks to combine the development of several different skills throughout one course, including teamwork, communication, and time management in addition to the material of different subjects,” Bartaševičiūtė noted. “This is a prime example of non-formal education supplementing formal schooling — helping children reach their goals by adding extra skills.”
ABOUT FRIENDOLAND
Friendoland is a non-formal e-learning platform for schoolchildren all across the globe. Through weekly classes, gatherings, and annual summer camps, children become part of an international community that creates life-long friendships and develops a unique global-minded skill set. With online classes consisting of up to 14 children, each pupil receives individual attention and has a chance to shine.
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