Improving the Synergy between Informal and Formal Education in Education Management in Nigeria

Abstract

The interplay between informal and formal education in our society cannot be undermined as both play prominent roles in producing a complete person that is generally accepted in the society that can adequately contribute meaningful to the society and nations economic development. At the early life stage of a child, he starts to learn the ideals, customs, norms and values of his community and society through the support of his parents and other elders around him, that is why some academic scholars have agreed that education is the of transmission of values, cultures, norms and associated societal knowledge of certain group of people from generation to generation. Naturally, societies present to its people some inherent cultures, norms, values that need to be sustained through individual involvement in adherence and obedience to these societal demands, by doing so they internalize it and become well accepted as loyal citizens of the society. This process continues from childhood till adulthood when the child begins to take charge of certain aspects of his life. All these knowledge transmission, acquisition and transfer processes are done anywhere within the child’s environment and also not planned or structured, rather through daily life activities and involvement. This approach to education was applied when the communities and its societies where yet not developed but primitive. However, as society became sophisticated and complex, the need to institutionalize knowledge transmission process was eminent as to meet with the contemporary societal demands and life generally. To this extent, schools began to be built, knowledge transmission became planned and curriculums development became obvious, learning became structured, teachers are trained in different field of endeavors to prepare the individuals in their various localities to meet with challenges of both developing and developed world and also contribute meaningfully to the society and nation at large. Hence the managers of this knowledge process are required to be conscious of the needs of the society and nation as to foster effective and efficient teaching and learning processes that take cognizance of all these societal needs, putting them in perspectives for effective knowledge transmission and delivery in schools. Hence this paper was necessitated to focus on the synergy between informal and formal education in education management. In pursuance of this, the importance of formal, informal education and educational management will be considered, ways of improving the synergy between formal and informal education will also be discussed herein.