Learning begins at birth or even at the pre-natal stage and continues throughout an individual’s life, through formal, non-formal and informal methods.

Recognising this, a number of countries in Asia and the Pacific have established Non-Formal Education (NFE) systems that are linked to formal education through the use of Equivalency Programmes (EPs). Learners are often given the flexibility to move between formal and non-formal channels of education at primary level, secondary level, and beyond.