Although, as a concept and terminology, non-
formal education is contested, literature shows that it 
has been part of all cultures throughout human 
history, and its practices work and exist until today. 
With no intention to compare and contrast, the 
significance of non-formal education lies on the heart 
that it can function as a complement, supplement and 
replacement/alternative to formal education. Based 
on these categories, it could be safely argued that non-
formal education could play an important role as a 
means and strategy to fulfil individual right to and 
need of education, develop and empower 
disadvantaged population, including women, and 
achieve the global goals in education. 
Meanwhile, when referred to Indonesian context, 
the country’s socio-cultural diversity, experience in 
serving marginalised population, and educational 
statistics show that non-formal education is a worth-
considering educational policy to boost its 
educational improvement. After analysed with Bell 
and Stevenson’s framework for policy analysis, it 
turns out that it would take a collective effort from 
Indonesian educational leaders in broad context and 
different layers to provide research-based policy 
discourses, academic-based policy parameters and 
priorities, effective educational leadership, and 
successful implementation of non-formal education. 
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