This essay critically discusses how Paulo Freire’s theoretic principles can be used to liberate individuals, with a specific focus on the banking model of education.
Paulo Freire is an influential Brazilian philosopher whose viewpoint comprised a critical
pedagogy and critical theoretic principles which can be applied to the education field to empower
individuals. In The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire looks at education as a force that can be
used to restructure society and liberate individuals.The process of using education as a tool for
liberation and freedom realization is defined as emancipatory education. Freire presents an
educational process that aims at locating causes of oppression and transforming social realities
(emancipation education). His theory introduces three educational aims which can be used to
advocate social transformation namely: humanization, critical conscientization and a problem-
posing education system. The purpose of this essay is to critically discuss my educational
experiences using Paulo Freire’s theoretical principles and how these principles can be used to
make educational practices today emancipatory.
Freire explains that “education is never neutral; it can either be a tool for oppression or
liberation” (Freire, 2005:46). The first aim that characterizes emancipatory education is
humanization. In contrast to this aim, in my experiences, whenever our English teacher was
analyzing a poem, he would provide his own interpretation and expects us to write it exactly as it
is in our assessments. Consequently, he dehumanized us because this act is a “distortion of the
vocation of becoming fully human (Freire, 2005:44). As such, the English teacher deprived us
the human quality of thinking for ourselves, thus the education we received was oppressive.
Alternatively, Paulo’s idea of achieving emancipation education is through “dialogue” (Freire,
2005:88). Most of my teachers throughout my years of learning would come to class and have
notes written on the chalkboard then explained them as they are. They, therefore, engaged in the
banking method which according to Freire is a form of oppression. Furthermore, this banking
approach can be explained as the process “where education becomes an act of depositing, where
students are perceived as depositories and the teacher the depositor” (Freire, 2005:72). Freire
further explains that in “any situation which A objectively exploits B or hinders his or her self-
affirmation as a responsible person is one of oppression”. Considering this explanation, our
teachers oppressed us because they interfered with our “vocation to be fully human” (Freire,
2005:55) and they therefore did not give us opportunities to express our opinions. They were not
concerned about how the content will help us in future or help us become critical thinkers.
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