Non-formal education (NFE) programs offer an alternative to formal education for out-of-school children, adolescents, and youth, and for learners for whom the formal education system is not a good fit, providing a flexible, responsive education that is better suited to the unique circumstances of these groups. However, NFE programming in crisis and conflict settings currently varies widely in its content, delivery modalities, educational quality, the certification provided upon completion of the program (or lack thereof), and target populations. 

The Background Paper and Proposed Taxonomy summarizes the historical and current use of terms related to NFE, reflects on current policy and programmatic use of these terms, and proposes a taxonomy and definitions of NFE programming for adolescents and youth in conflict- and crisis-affected environments. The paper aims to address the confusion about the definition of NFE, its purpose, audience and quality, and is written for the benefit of education practitioners, donors and policymakers working in crisis and conflict-affected environments.