Lesson 49: The importance of formal qualifications?/A Time when your family helped you

1: The importance of formal qualifications

Traditionally our schools are responsible for formally educating our children and young people, and families and friends supply the informal portions of their educations. Both of these portions of a child’s education are of equal importance. They both contribute greatly to a child’s learning experience. They affect the way a child thinks and communicates with society.”Formal education is the hierarchically structured, chronologically graded ‘education system’, running from primary school through the university and including, in addition to general academic studies.

People must meet certain educational requirements and get a license or certificate before they can practice accounting, law, or medicine.”Informal education is a truly lifelong process whereby every individual acquires attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from daily experience and the educative influences and resources in his or her environment – from family and neighbors, from work and play, from the market place, the library and the mass media

2: A Time when your family helped you

In our part of the world, family is an important institution in our lives. We tend to live and grow together amid any difficult situation. My family has always assisted and encouraged me in each phase of my life. However, the one that stands out is the phase of my MDCAT preparation. It was an arduous task both; physically and mentally. My family encouraged me through that time. They believed in me, and to be honest that was what kept me going. Unfortunately, I couldn’t ace the examination, hard-luck perhaps.

But, my family remained optimistic and supported me through that bewildering time. For which I would always be grateful, and I’m looking forward to returning all the favors that my family has bestowed upon me.