This RAN Youth & Education and RAN LOCAL meeting explored the topic of when non-formal education becomes problematic in co-existence with formal education for teachers and for local authorities. One of the main outcomes of the meeting is that youngsters/pupils benefit from a positive pedagogical environment in which the stakeholders (schools, parents, non-formal schooling and local authorities) work jointly.

Including non-formal education can be of added value (e.g. in terms of identity-building) as long they are not interfering with societal values, or are conflicting with formal education. However, building up this relationship and trust takes time.

Should the non-formal school promote undemocratic and undesirable values, cooperation is less feasible. Monitoring the situation is important in that case if pupils are engaging in this environment. Examples of how this cooperation and monitoring can take place have been presented and will be explained in this conclusion paper.

This paper will first address what the value of non-formal education can be for young people, their community and ultimately society. It explores when non-formal education becomes problematic and how this is encountered in several EU countries. After challenges with regard to the topic have been discussed, recommendations are given for both authorities and formal education and non-formal education. This includes recommendations on preventing non-formal education from becoming problematic in the first place, and recommendations on how to deal with it in case problems have arisen.