Despite the global commitment to the much-cited ‘expanded vision’ of basic education which is moving beyond a focus on primary schooling systems occurring within the formal education sector, there is a clear absence of information available on Non-Formal Education (NFE). However, at the forefront of the collective commitment to systematically monitor progress towards EFA targets is the recognition of the critical need for the creation of a comprehensive picture as regards the performance of the entire education sector, which includes the non-formal sector.
Most countries have Educational Management Information Systems to monitor formal education, but only in rare cases do such systems exist for the non-formal sector. At the same time, countries are increasingly voicing the need for reliable information and data on this sector. UNESCO has responded to this challenge by developing an easy-to-use methodology and database for setting-up a Non-Formal Education Management Information System (NFE-MIS).
