Freire tackles a number of issues and ideas in “Pedagogy Of The Oppressed”. He also presents his philosophy on how to teach more effectively. Paulo Freire’s teaching requires more from students than just regurgitating the information they are given by the teacher. They must also be creative and in touch to allow them the freedom to express themselves.
Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed calls for a change from the beginning. His word play, imagery and examples are used to illustrate his message. His views on education are evident in these examples. The banking education system is a good example. It is a way to solve the problem of oppression by creating a timetable for the teachers. This type of teaching is not beneficial to students. The narrator states that this kind of teaching sounds, “static, compartmentalized, predictable, and motionless”. The bank system encourages students to regurgitate and memorize information. This is not learning, but just filling up containers. It is not a good idea to regurgitate information because this will only make you forget what you’ve learned.
Freire uses the idea of a banking system to describe education. It is a play on words by Paulo Freire, who compares students with banks and teachers as depositors. This is a concept where the teacher deposits important knowledge she feels is necessary into the brain of the student in order to have them regurgitate that information back. As a result, students are encouraged by their teachers to “fit-in” with the society. They then become submissive and accept authority. “Four fours is sixteen. Para’s capital is Belem.” The student records and memorizes these phrases without understanding what the phrase “the capital” really means. The teacher narrates the story, which leads to the student memorizing the account mechanically. It makes them “containers” or “receptacles”, which the teacher must fill. She is a better teacher if she can fill the receptacles completely. The better the students are, the more meekly they fill the receptacles. “Students must not be kept in a small room for hours on end and forced to memorize factoids. This is not helpful in the real-world. Children who have only ever been taught by their teachers will never be able think for themselves. Children who lack independent thinking will struggle to cope in real life. As they are not allowed the freedom to think, they rely only on others.
The banking system also reduces the individual to an object, and fills them up to the brims with knowledge which they are not even aware of. Freire stresses throughout the entire chapter that education is not a monolithic system. The teacher should not simply point to the board, underlining the most important points. Students should have the opportunity to discuss and engage with each other. As the conversation between peers becomes more detailed, it stimulates the mind and creates a reference point that helps the student to better digest the information. Theres an expert where Freire acknowledges the defect with the banking education by stating; “Through dialogue, the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges: teacher-student with students-teachers. The teacher does not only teach, but also learns from the students. The process is shared by all.
Freire advocates the use of problem-posing as an antidote to oppression. But what is it? It’s when there is mutualism between the students and teachers. This scenario does not involve students sitting apathetically and waiting for the truth that will be imposed on them. Students would have the ability to deal with the problems they are presented by the rest of the world. They will also be more open to challenges and develop a critical mindset. This teacher does not simply tell a story, as Freire claims. They also encourage cognitive thinking. The teacher is able to break free of oppression when they prepare dialogues with their students. This allows them to become creative and analytical human beings who do not get trapped by the system. Students and teachers will work together in the method of problem-posing to identify the fears, hopes, desires, and beliefs of those who are oppressed. The teacher presents the themes in a new way as problems.
Freire emphasizes that “liberating education”, as Freire puts it, “consists not in transferals but in acts of cognition” (pg.79). Communication between the teacher, the student and the subject is what produces knowledge. Freire states, “Unlike banking education” there is no student/teacher hierarchy. It is not enough for the teacher to impart knowledge to students. There must be interaction between student and teacher.
Freire says to achieve the transition that we need to replace the education system based around the banking concept, with a system which maintains problem solving educational practices. Banking education is a system that treats students like objects, in need for intervention. In contrast, the problem-posing technique aims to make students critical thinkers. Paulo Freire doesn’t like how education is conducted today. Freire compares, in Pedagogy of The Oppressed: two contemporary concepts of teaching, problem-posing versus banking. Banking is a method where teachers are in control and decide what students will learn. They “fill” the classroom with pre-assigned material.
Dialogue, on the other hand, recognizes values, beliefs, strengths and weaknesses, and encourages innovation and creativity. The oppressed are transformed by this method. Freire has a strong critique of the banking method and praises it for being used in other contexts than education. The banking method, in my opinion, stunts student growth and makes it difficult for them to be mindful.
While Problem-Posing allows both teachers and students to have discussions about a topic that will not only help them gain more knowledge, but also encourages their own thoughts. Problem-Posing can be a difficult transition because the human race is always changing and that certain subjects are best taught by memorizing and regurgitating formulas. Freire argues that education exists because humans are in constant change. In an ideal world, the method of problem-posing would be implemented in every class to help students develop the ability to think independently and be prepared for future leadership and teaching. Our society is built on education, so we need to find a way to combine both ideologies into a system of learning that can sharpen our student’s abilities.