No. 575, October 22, 2007

The review

A Great Classic

read by Jonas Himmelstrand

Pedagogy of the Oppressed

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Paulo Freire is considered the worlds leading educationalist during the later part of the 20th century. His most famous book is Pedagogy of the Oppressed which was first published in 1968.

Freire developed his pedagogy with poor peasants in Brazil in mind. He made them aware of their living situation with its contradictions and hidden agendas. What could such a book have to offer people in the welfare states of the western world?

Many Westerners have found a deep and universal truth about learning and personal development in Freire’s book. Freire shows how any form of teaching or training which does not take into account the values, experiences and desires of those taught, dehumanize not only them but also their teachers. He uses the metaphor of "banking education" to describe this educational philosophy where the pupil is considered an empty bank account into which the teacher puts their knowledge.

Freire sees dialogue as a key tool. Every individual needs to "name their world" as they see it. Only through dialogue can we learn and grow from our own perception of the world, experiencing new knowledge as a part of ourselves rather than something we feel alienated from.

"Banking education" is of course still common in all kinds of education in the western world. An educational philosophy for the knowledge society will need to be much more dialogue oriented.

Even though Pedagogy of the Oppressed is not the easiest book to read, it is absolutely worth reading. It is a real gem for anyone wanting to understand how to educate in tomorrows world.

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Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Paulo Freire.
Penguin Books Ltd 1996. ISBN 014025403X. 176 pages.

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© 2007 Strategies to Learn & Grow Newsletter • Printable version