Education is defined as the activities and processes of how individuals acquire and use knowledge. It typically involves instruction by teachers that use a variety of different ways to facilitate learning. The types of formal education include preschool, primary, secondary, post-secondary, adult, and alternative education.
Preschool Education
- Providing education to children during the early years, often between infancy and five years old. It generally focuses on learning common tasks such as feeding and dressing and learning through play experiences.
Primary Education
- Also called elementary education involves the first five to seven years of structures learning in a public school environment. Generally children enter elementary school between the ages of five and six and finish around eleven or twelve years old.
Secondary Education
- Education that takes place during the adolescent period and is typically categorized as the transition from primary education to optional higher education. It generally refers to the seventh to tenth year of formal schooling. Some secondary education systems are divided into separate middle and high schools.
Post-Secondary Education
- Also called higher education is classified at the third stage of education that is voluntary and involves education to prepare individuals for careers. It includes undergraduate and graduate education and vocational training. Post-secondary education usually ends in individuals receiving diplomas, certificates, or degrees.
Adult Education
- Involves technical education for specific career areas and involves many forms such as class-based education, Internet-based learning, and self-directed learning.
Alternative Education
- Also known as non-traditional education involves learning that takes place in different environments. Includes education of individuals with special needs such as disabilities and special circumstances (i.e. teenage pregnancy). It also includes educational forms that are developed for a general audience that implement alternative educational methods and philosophies.