G u I d e L i n e s m a n u a L s a n d g u I d e L i n e s

(e) Admission requirements: 

These are defined as ‘the requirement or set of requirements, which 

have to be fulfilled to 

have access to learning’. Formal education is typically (and almost always) 

subject to various admission requirements, mostly based on prior educational attainment, but also 

age. In non-

formal education, admission requirements don’t always exist, but non-compulsory 

prerequisites might be recommended. 

(f) Registration requirements: 

These are defined as ‘the requirement or set of requirements which 

have to be fulfilled to record formally the enrolment to learning

’. Formal education is typically subject 

to registration. There are no registration requirements for non-formal education.

29

 

(h) Duration of at least one semester (minimum of 30 ECTS): 

‘Programmes of shorter duration 

                                                           

 

 

27

  ISCED 2011, paragraph 36, page 11. 

28

  ISCED 2011, paragraph 47, page 13. 

29

  UNESCO Manual for statistics on non-formal education, page 4. 

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1 

General concepts and definitions 

19 

Classification of learning activities 

– manual 

than one semester, full time equivalent duration as defined nationally’

30

 should be excluded from 

formal education and training. The programmes which fulfil all the eight other criteria but are shorter 

than one semester should be considered as non-formal. 

(i) Recognition of the programme by the relevant national education or equivalent authorities: 

A programme is only formal if the programme itself is recognised by the relevant national education 

or equivalent authorities, irrespective of whether it leads to a qualification recognised as equivalent to 

a formal qualification by the relevant national education or equivalent authorities. 

On the other hand, non-formal education refers to institutionalised learning activities for which the