Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Chapter 2:

This weeks class we focused on the second chapter of Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. In talking about the chapter, this weeks conversation was drawn mainly to discussing the complex relationship between oppressed individuals and oppressive systems. Ironically, this got everyone thinking about the traditional education system and the relationship between the student and educator. Freire suggests the educator inhabits the role of oppressor through 'narrative education'.

In his words, 'narration (with the teacher as narrator) leads the students to memorise mechanically the narrated content. Worse yet, it turns them into 'containers', into 'receptacles' to be 'filled' by the teacher. The more completely she fills the receptacles, the better a teacher she is. The more meekly the receptacles permit themselves to be filled, the better students they are'. 

The concept of narration education got me thinking particularly about secondary school exams, particularly GCSEs. With the sheer amount of information to retain, it seemed as if it were the teachers job to make students memorise as opposed to learn. Therefore, marks on a page reflected the students capacity to retain as much information as possible, rather than their individual skills, creativity or passion for the subject. He also refers to this system as the 'banking' system, which made a lot of sense to me. In his eyes, this is what suppresses innate creativity and individuality most successfully. 

However, Freire proceeds to search for a solution to such a system. Another quote that struck me was, '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'. I definitely agree with Freire's ambiguous statement. I think what he's trying to suggest is that to be truly educated is what comes after or outside of the narration/banking educational system. It comes from our innate human desire to change, to try new things to experience the world and relationships with others. I definitely agree that no education I've ever had has properly prepared me for life I experience outside of the classroom. If anything, ironically, life away from school or uni work has felt like much more of an 'education'.

It feels like Freire is all about resolving contradictions, and this chapter is no different. He believes, 'education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by reconciling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students'. Writing on their relationship, Freire sees education as the teachers tool to turn students into 'automatons'- into non-humans without the capacity to have 'critical consciousness'. Looking to resolve this, he proposes the concept of 'problem-posing eduction'. Basing communication as the key, he suggests this form of education is one in which both teacher and student are equals towards learning- 'jointly responsible for a process in which all grow'. Because no one is formally teaching the other, an environment is created where knowledge isn't owned. Therefore, the teacher-student dynamic becomes resolved.

Hence, as he summarises, 'whereas banking education anaesthetises and inhabits creative power, problem-posing education involves a constant unveiling of reality. The former attempts to maintain the submersion of conciseness; the latter strives for the emergence of consciousness and critical intervention in reality'. Therefore, in his eyes, Freire sees this communication based form of education as the best way of preparing 'students' for a reality filled with social challenges, people and relationships. It seems problem-posing education is about acknowledging the reality outside of the classroom, and the actual role we play within it. Whereas, banking education distances itself from reality in a way, because its based upon facts and doesn't inspire students to engage in critical thinking about the world. 

He ends by posing the importance of problem-posing education as a tool for liberation. He stresses, problem-posing education leads to 'a depended consciousness' and 'people to apprehend that situation as historical reality susceptible of transformation'. Therefore, for Freire, problem-posing education is a revolutionary act, discarding the oppression of the student altogether. It acknowlges that humans (teacher and student) are humans in the world, with the capacities to continue to change and transform anything. 

Overall, this type of education definitely proses a positive change the traditions of banking education I've experienced in my time at school and university. I definitely agree that banking education is a reflection of the worlds oppressive systems and that problem-posing has the power to change this.