peer review for 2 writing
Ruiz
Ruiz
Monica Ruiz
Professor Williams
English 1A September 13, 2020
The Flaws in Education
In most classrooms, students are expected to listen to and memorize lessons given by the teacher. This method of teaching is called the “banking method”, first used by Paul Freire. This method is commonly used in today’s education which can be easily seen in school curriculums and standardized testing. Freire’s definition of the “banking” concept is essentially the idea when students become no more than a container to which educators dump their knowledge. In Paul Freire’s essay, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”, he argues against the banking concept, stating that students are “being narrated to become lifeless and petrified.” (Freire 71). The “banking method” is the biggest problem in education because it promotes oppression and dehumanizes students. Switching to a more dynamic method like problem-posing will give students the knowledge and transferable skills they need.
As the “banking method” forces students to mindlessly take in knowledge, it deprives students from a critical consciousness. In Freire’s essay, he discusses how the “banking” concept gives no room for students’ creative growth but instead encourages them to become manageable and adaptable beings which cater to the oppressors who have no interest in seeing the world develop to a more aware society (Freire 72). Expecting students to only memorize the knowledge given doesn’t allow them to truly understand the meaning of given knowledge. This prevents students from developing a critical mind. Having a critical consciousness is crucial for the future. If the oppressed are not able to develop their own ideas, the oppressors will remain in control. From my experience with the “banking” concept in education, I didn’t pick up any valuable skills. With the lack of critical engagement I only learned the information on a short term basis. I retained information from lessons for that period of time to only finish the homework and pass the test, then repeated with further lessons. Looking back, this is a direct example of how the banking method leads to a lack of creativity. Another example of how the banking concept in today’s education strips students away from critical thinking can be found in “Keeping Close to Home” by Bell Hooks. Hooks writes about how even in an educational setting where students are expected to expand on their writing and analytical skills, they are expected to, “think, write, and talk in a manner that shifts attention away from personal experience.” (Hooks 104). When students are able to express their diverse experiences, they are able to gain a greater understanding of the subject. Therefore students should be allowed to bring in their personal experiences to the classroom as it is beneficial to both the teacher and students.
With the “banking” method education becomes much like a bank, teachers are the depositor and the students are the depositories. In this concept teachers project an absolute ignorance on students, considering them to know nothing. This idea is completely false as humans are inborn intelligent beings. Freire brings up how a peasant man, who by banking standards is ignorant, pipes up into a conversation between educated individuals expressing his perception of the world (Freire 82). This hierarchy between the educated and uneducated must be destroyed entirely.
As one can see although the peasant is uneducated, the educated could still learn from his views, giving a different view of the same ideas. In another section, Freire mentions, “As women and men, simultaneously reflecting on themselves and on the world, increase the scope of their perception, they begin to direct their observations towards previously inconspicuous phenomena” (Freire 82). This quote from Freire’s essay indicates that all people have the natural capability to understand the world around them. Teachers who continue to think students are ignorant keeps them from expressing their views that could potentially educate their peers as well as the instructor.
Rather than continuing the “banking” concept in education, a more efficient alternative is the problem-posing method. This concept involves open discussions and emphasizes critical thinking. Freire states that problem-posing, “intentionality—rejects communiques and embodies communication.” (Freire 79). Rejecting the banking standards will humanize students rather than turning them into robots who simply take in information and spit it out. Problem-posing allows for life long learning as it engages students and truly makes them understand what the answers mean. Freire also describes the problem-posing method as a “practice of freedom” (Freire 80). Freedom is exactly what problem-posing promotes, it allows students to express their ideas freely which can lead to new concepts and a more educated group of individuals.
As expressed, the “banking” strategy for teaching is arguably the most concerning problem in education. Banking education deprives students of critical consciousness and underestimates their ability and takes away the true value in learning while problem-posing creates a classroom of engaged students. Problem-posing makes sure everyone in the discussion is of equal value. In conclusion, teachers should switch from banking to problem-posing because it humanizes students and teaches the true meaning of learning.