Class Discussion on "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Freire

Today in class we discussed "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," a selection written by Paulo Freire. When I first read this selection, I thought that Freire’s views on education were very extreme. Although I agreed with some of his points, I didn’t feel that banking system type of learning created students to be oppressed. I did, however, agree with many of Freire’s points about how this system of teaching limits students’ learning. Like many of the student in our class, I believe that the most effective way for a student to learn is a mixture of both systems. In some cases, memorization is necessary, such as when learning basic facts, but after learning these facts, it is beneficial to discuss what they learned and how it applies to their lives. What I liked most about Freire’s essay is his view on the relationship between teachers and their students. According to the banking system, "knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing." (58). I completely disagree with that entire statement. First of all, everyone has the right to learn, and students aren’t completely unintelligent. They may not know about a certain object, but they have had prior experiences that have helped them to understand the world. In addition, teachers are not all-knowing. Already from my experiences working in the classroom, I have learned important lessons from students. A teacher should always take time to listen to what their students have to say- they never know when a student might surprise them and teach them something. Most importantly, the problem posing system of education creates curiosity for students, furthering their learning. This causes me to wonder what would happen if students learned purely through memorization. If we don’t question or take interest in what we are learning, why would we question or take interest in the world? Problem posing education helps students to understand the society in which they live and how it changes, prompting to further improve it. These two methods of teaching help to pose the question of what the purpose of education is. I hope to answer that question by the completion of this course.