Education is usually sorted into three types: formal education in recognized schools and colleges, non-formal education such as short courses and workplace training, and informal learning that happens outside any program. UNESCO's classification system counts the first two and excludes the third. A public elementary school, an employer-run safety course, and a trade apprenticeship are real examples of different types, and the same AI chatbot can fall into any of them depending on where it is used.
Key takeaways
- UNESCO describes formal education as institutionalized, intentional, and planned through public organizations and recognized private bodies, forming a country's formal education system.
- Non-formal education is also planned by a provider, but it supplements or replaces formal schooling and is often short, as in courses and workshops.
- In the 12 months ending in November 2022, 30.9 percent of workers in Canada took part in job-related training outside the formal education system, according to Statistics Canada.
- Canada's Red Seal Program is an example of a standard shared across provinces and territories for skilled trades.
- An AI tool does not have a type of its own; the setting around it decides whether the learning is formal, non-formal, or informal.
The three types and how UNESCO draws the lines
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics glossary and the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011) divide learning by how it is organized, not by the age of the learner or the subject. Formal education is institutionalized, intentional, and planned, delivered through public bodies and recognized private ones, and it makes up a country's formal system. Most of it is initial education: the path from primary school onward.
Non-formal education is also institutionalized, intentional, and planned by a provider. The difference is its role. It adds to or stands in for formal schooling within lifelong learning, and its programs are often short and low in intensity, typically courses or workshops, without a continuous pathway from one level to the next. Informal learning, meaning accidental or incidental learning, is outside the scope of ISCED. Qualifications that a national authority recognizes can still count toward attainment whichever route produced them.
Real examples, with what is known about each
The table pairs each type with a concrete case. Where a figure appears, it comes from the cited statistics agency. Rows marked illustrative are typical situations, not measured ones.
| Type | Example | What can be said about it |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | A public elementary or secondary school (illustrative) | Fits the UNESCO description: planned, run by a recognized public body, part of the national system |
| Formal or non-formal, depending on the country's classification | A skilled-trades apprenticeship leading to a Red Seal endorsement | Provinces and territories run training and certification, and a national council oversees the shared standard |
| Non-formal | Job-related training provided or arranged outside the formal system | 30.9 percent of workers in Canada took part in the 12 months ending in November 2022 |
| Non-formal | A weekend coding workshop or community first-aid course (illustrative) | Planned by a provider, short, not part of a school pathway |
| Informal | A person learning to repair a bicycle from videos or a neighbor (illustrative) | No provider, no program; outside ISCED |
Apprenticeship: a case where categories blur
The Red Seal Program, described on the Red Seal website, grew out of the first National Conference on Apprenticeship in Trades and Industries, held in Ottawa in 1952. Participants recommended that the federal government work with provincial and territorial apprenticeship committees to prepare standards for skilled trades. Today, provinces and territories run apprenticeship training and trade certification in their jurisdictions, including administering the Red Seal exam. The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship is responsible for the program, and Employment and Social Development Canada sponsors a secretariat that supports it.
A tradesperson who passes the exam receives the Red Seal endorsement on a provincial or territorial certificate. The program states that the endorsement shows the holder has the knowledge required by the national standard and supports labor mobility, but it does not by itself certify a person to practice a trade; that verification goes through the provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority. An apprenticeship mixes paid work with classroom training, so reasonable classification can differ, which is why the table leaves it open.
Where AI tools fit
The setting, not the software, sets the type. A student who uses a chatbot to draft an assignment for a public school course is in formal education, and school rules, teacher instructions, and student privacy law apply. An employee who takes an employer-provided course on using AI at work is in non-formal training, where the employer's policies and privacy law govern. An adult who asks a chatbot how to fix a leaking tap is learning informally, with no provider responsible for accuracy.
This matters for evidence. Studies of classroom AI describe formal settings with teachers present, and their results cannot be assumed to carry over to a person studying alone. Accuracy also differs by setting: a school or employer can vet a tool and review its output, while informal users rely on their own judgment. The related articles on this site cover what trials in formal classrooms measured.
A quick way to classify a learning experience
- Is there a provider that planned the learning in advance? If not, it is informal.
- Is the provider recognized by a public authority, and does the program sit in a national level structure? If yes, it is formal.
- Is the program short, a supplement, or a substitute with no continuous pathway? If yes, it is non-formal.
- Does a national authority recognize the resulting credential? If yes, it may count toward attainment whatever the route.
FAQ
What is a real-life example of formal education?
Attending a public elementary or secondary school is the standard case. It is planned, run by a recognized public body, and part of the national education system.
Is on-the-job training education?
Job-related training outside the formal education system counts as non-formal education in Statistics Canada's measure. In the 12 months ending in November 2022, 30.9 percent of workers in Canada took part in it.
Does informal learning count toward a degree?
Not directly. ISCED excludes informal learning from its programs, although a qualification that a national authority recognizes can count toward attainment however the knowledge was gained.
Is learning with an AI chatbot formal or informal?
It depends on the setting. Use inside a course run by a recognized school is part of formal education, while self-directed use without a provider is informal learning.
Related reading
- AI and the learning experience
- Challenges and limits of AI in education
- Impact and potential of AI in schools
- What narrow AI is, with examples
More in AI in education.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Formal education, non-formal education, and informal learning, UNESCO Institute for Statistics glossary
- International Standard Classification of Education, ISCED 2011, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2012
- Training participation, 2022, Statistics Canada, 2023
- Red Seal Program, Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship and Employment and Social Development Canada