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Paulo Freire on Education
In a previous article, I discussed some of philosopher Paulo Freire’s views on political conflict. Though he didn’t shy away from politics, Freire was first and foremost a philosopher of education. In this article, I want to introduce you to some of the views of Paulo Freire on education. As a teacher, I find his ideas sensible and a breath of fresh air amidst the increasing corporatization of education.
While working as a teacher in the early 1960s, Freire came to realize that widespread illiteracy was related to authoritarian attitudes which bred an environment of oppressions. He saw that authoritarianism was deeply ingrained in all aspects of society, even in how parents related to their children. He saw that education is more than learning skills. Education is a process about people discovering themselves as creative agents and becoming more human. The value of education, for Freire, was not simply being better able to make a living in a profession but empowerment and transformation for an individual and community. Education, well done, leads to social justice.
These thoughts are similar to those of John Dewey. Dewey thought that education is best when it is active involvement, not passive seeing or hearing. Good education teaches individuals how to solve problems and better engage with their society. Students need to be active questioners — hands-on in both practices…
