Order 1090773: Higher education

Maya Banks

Prof. Debra Martin

Park University

ENG106

June 17, 2018

The Banking Concept of Education- Paulo Freire

In Paulo Freire work on the Pedagogy of The Oppressed includes a section that he calls the Banking Concept of Education. In this section “Banking Concept of Education,” he critiques the traditional education system, and he passionately explains the flaws in the system, and he believes that it is a teaching-learning disorder in most of our schools. In his writings, he shows his grave concerns, and he has a strong feeling that the system should be changed.

As he starts his argument, he gives a brief description of the kind of education systems, and he says that “education is suffering from narration sickness” (Freire 242.) This is a “banking” system that he says that the teachers in the schools narrate concepts to the students without any concern if the students understand these concepts. Instead, he says that there should be collaboration between the teachers and the students to work together and think critically by working closely to enhance students learning. He symbolically refers to the current education system as “banking” where the students record what their teachers are narrating. The “banking concept” according to Freire is a flawed system that hinders intellectual growth and instead turns them to be receptors or information collectors that do not correlate with their lives. Freire says “banking…the scope of action allowed to the students extends only as far as receiving and storing of deposits” (Freire 244). Referring to the Freire idea above it is clear that he believes that the students are not gaining any knowledge but instead, they memorize the teacher concepts. Furthermore, memorizing can be said that the students the students are only surviving they cannot express or formulate their ideas and thoughts or critiquing what their teachers discuss in class. In other words, it can be said that students are not gaining any knowledge where they are required utilize the concepts learned in class and then relate them in their lives and putting them in a form that they have a total understanding.

He denounces the current “banking” systems in education and instead, he proposes a revolutionary substitute which he calls it problem-posing. In this proposal, the teacher and the student should become one where each party teaches and learns from the other, and consequently, it allows critical thinking at the same time gives a chance for each to present their interpretation of the topic. As quoted Freire (244) he 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.” The best way that teaching should be done is where a teacher has to discuss the material for the day, and later give a chance for the students to ask questions on the subject matter. The teacher can, therefore, know whether the students have understood the vital concept from their observations. Furthermore, when the student is actively involved in class, they gain adequate knowledge and better understanding. Freire adds another idea he calls intentionality where he says that thought cannot exist without purpose. Therefore, he says that intentionality is a component of problem-posing because it is a system that will ensure that the students relate the learning with their lives. Intentionality is in contrast with the banking that is memorization, but instead, it allows for liberation that will enable you to form your thinking.

Freire also talks of the notion that the students need to be free and to be granted independence. Freire argues that independence has its own negative implication s not only in class but also in the in the world at large. When there is freedom, students will perceive themselves as part of the real world, and they tend to believe that they know everything because they had the autonomy to learn freely. But in reality, the students are not able to discover what it is true about them since they never questioned the teacher’s concepts. Furthermore, under freedom, the students find themselves as the final authority, and they work according to their convictions. By making the teachers have authority, it is possible to create independent people, open-minded and having an enlightened people in our entire society. Freire says "In problem-posing education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves; they come to see the world not as a static reality, but as a reality in process, in transformation” ( Freire, 252). At the end of the excerpt, Friere ends in a political note urging all the revolutionist to come out and fight to save the current generation from the current system of education that has a significant effect on our society. The new revolutionaries should also make radical changes to their philosophies, and they can work together to save the coming generation.

To conclude, education in the contemporary world is the foundation and the backbone of the society. School is also the basis or the foundation that the people who will reign the world need to start and developed their skills. Furthermore, the future of humanity is based on the elites of the world and education takes a significant part as it determines the methodological circumstances that transform individuals. It is therefore essential to put more attention to the current education make it genuine as possible, and in the long run, we can have great intellections in the world. Therefore, there is need to support Freire ideas and moving away from the current Banking Concept of Education.

Work Cited

Freire, Paulo. “The “Banking” Concept of Education.” Ways of Reading. 8th ed. Bartholomae, David and Anthony Petrosky. Boston: Bedford- St. Martin’s, 2008. 242-254. Print.