Paulo Freire Concepts Of Education

Paulo Freire concepts of education

Education is mostly defined by the relationship between the teacher and the students. This should be one of respect and space, still not one of stratification. It shouldn’t be a power relationship where the teacher, the one with the power, knows all, “teach” all and tells all to a student that is subordinate to just listen and be in agreement to what theteacher says. A relationship that consist of a teacher as a depositor of all the knowledge with the students as depositories without any “valid” knowledge mostly defines the banking concept of education that Paulo Freire criticizes. This concept basically consist of a teacher preaching knowledge, that isn’t joined with the reality they are living, to student that tend to memorize the information for agrade because that is what they are stimulated to do.

As Freire indicates this banking concept of education has plenty of flaws. One of the most particular flaw is the fact that this banking concept of education doesn’t develop the critical consciousness in the students. On the contrary it just stimulates the memory and creates students with “open empty minds” that are constantly filled withwhat the banking concept of education says it is knowledge. The problem is that without critical consciousness a person can’t apply this misguided concept of knowledge, another particular flaw, to the reality he or she is living. As Freire stipulates “teacher talks about reality as is motionless …” so students get the words they just don’t get how to attach them to the present. In other words,the learning process doesn’t include relating the lessons or classes with the present the students are living. For example, a personal one, when a teacher talks about contamination merely as a concept. She identifies and explains the definition but she doesn’t attach it to reality. By consequence the student learns the concept but isn’t stimulated to identify contamination in his or her surroundingand try to help the situation. Here we can see how this baking concept of education allows you to have the information and a consciousness of what it is and the material things you have but not a critical consciousness of how this information is developing, happening or simply is in the world. Another flaw, mentioned before, is the misguided concept of knowledge in this banking education.Knowledge isn’t just getting information and keeping it. As Freire says “knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other”. Knowledge is a continuous process of learning that isn’t just knowing the information is applying it to your life, with others and in thesociety you live. In the banking concept we have this term of knowledge all in the teacher. He or she will deposit the knowledge in the students. Personally I don’t believe it should be this way. For me the process of learning has to incorporate all the senses. It should allow you to learn the way it is easier or more grateful for you. It should stimulate the most your vision and hearing. Also itshould be a dialogue between students and the teacher. Knowledge emerges from conversations and day by day learning it shouldn’t be only hearing the teacher like in the banking concept of education. All this things will develop each person authentic thinking.

But as Freire says this banking concept of education has a purpose that in fact is another potential flaw. People are being accustomed to nothaving this critical consciousness for benefit of the oppressors. These oppressors are the ones that want to have control on the society. How they get it? This way of education doesn’t enable the oppressed to develop a critical thinking and try to change the world. Instead it makes them “manageable beings”, as Freire says. The oppressed are constantly manage by the oppressors who don’t want to...