Social and Cultural Aspects of Informal Sector Learning: Meeting the Goals of EFA

Statistics reveal that in most of the developing world more than 50% of the population is engaged in unorganized work, in household production and service organizations that constitute the so-called informal sector. The informal sector is characterized by micro-enterprises that require small investments, often combine a household with production, and enjoy minimal State regulation because of the high cost of legislation. The establishment of one’s own enterprise represents a viable opportunity for overcoming poverty and providing work to others (Sethuraman, 1976). The ILO World employment report says that the majority of new jobs in developing countries are being created in the informal sector, which employs about 500 million workers (ILO, 1998). A lack of skills for a large section of the labour force, as well as a lack of sufficient job growth in the formal sector of the economy, has resulted in growth for the informal sector. The informal sector is making an enormous contribution to national economies, but remains a weak area for governmental policy. In the field of education, people in the informal sector are characterized by low levels of formal schooling, high drop-out rates from school and lack of access to tertiary education. This is particularly so in the case of women, who make up almost two-thirds of all those employed in this sector.