Non-Formal Education as a Space for Social Transformation and Community Empowerment

Abstract

Introduction to the Problem: Non-formal education (Pendidikan Luar Sekolah/PLS) is conceptually designed as a liberating instrument of education, oriented towards the real needs of learning citizens marginalized by the formal system. In practice, however, it is frequently reduced to a merely charitable programme or a mechanical supplement that fails to trigger social transformation (Fakih, 2002; Freire, 2008). This is a serious problem, because the essence of non-formal education is the humanization of human beings. Purpose: This study aims to deconstruct the conventional paradigm of non-formal education and to reformulate its strategic position as a genuine space of social transformation, in order to accelerate equitable community empowerment. Design/methods/approach: The study uses a qualitative approach with the method of library research. Data were collected extensively from thirty-five academic sources, comprising textbooks on andragogy and the sociology of education as well as scholarly journals (Zed, 2014; Moleong, 2021). The analysis was conducted through critical discourse analysis. Findings: The findings show that social transformation through non-formal education can be realized only if there is a shift from a pedagogy of domestication towards a critical pedagogy (Nuryatno, 2008). The space of non-formal education must be constructed as a dialogical arena bridging human development, enterprise development, and environmental development (Fahrudin, 2012). The integration of life-skills education with critical social consciousness (conscientization) is the principal catalyst that turns learning citizens from victims of an oppressive structure into agents of change within their communities.