V3I2P20

Reimagining Emancipatory Education: A Critical Reading of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Dr. S. Elizabeth Revathi^1*, K. Balaji Sundharam^2,3

Abstract

Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” is a really important book when we talk about how we teach and learn. He didn’t like the old way, what he called the “banking model,” where teachers just pour knowledge into student’s heads, because he thought that just kept unfair systems going. Instead, Freire wanted a method where students talked to each other and thought critically so they could understand the world around them and their place in society. This idea is made even stronger by recognizing the “community cultural wealth” that students from marginalized communities already have such as knowing how to navigate different systems or how to build strong relationships which means they have valuable strengths (Tara J Yosso, p. 114-136). Also, Freire thought it was important for students to become subjects of their own lives which is in line with what Gert Biesta says. According to Biesta education is supposed to empower people to become free individuals (Biesta G, p. 89-104). So, overall, Freire’s work challenges us to rethink education and push for big changes.

Keywords:

Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Banking Model, Critical Thinking, Community Cultural   Wealth, Marginalized Communities, Gert Biesta and Empower or Empowerment