Coming to Terms with "The Banking Concept of Education" by Paulo Freire

“The Banking Concept of Education” by Paulo Freire really surprised me and opened my eyes to issues that educators are facing that I never acknowledged, let alone knew existed. As a future educator I imagine myself having class discussions where the students feel comfortable enough to consistently participate. The thought of my classroom feeling like a dictatorship where the students cannot speak their minds is haunting and cruel. We are all life-long learners and that means that whether we take notice to it or not our knowledge is expanding daily from all different people, age groups, and within different environments. I personally look forward to learning from my students. No matter how many times you teach one lesson or novel every student you have will have a different opinion and thought about it, and sometimes they will surprise you with an answer you never thought of. That is the beauty of teaching.

Paulo Freire establishes the issue that the “banking education” system is creating. “Banking education” is diminishing student teacher relationships, students fully grasping the information they’re being taught, and positive classroom environments. It makes the classroom feel more mechanical and eliminates the personality of the class. “Education thus becomes an act of depositing,” (208). Freire is trying to stress to his readers how the “banking education” system is ruining the overall education system. Students are no longer truly learning the information; they are simply memorizing it for when it’s needed and depositing it away immediately after.

While explaining and deeply observing the “banking education” system, Freire also develops upon this teaching solution, which is called “problem-posing education”. Freire’s main purpose is not only to have educators stay clear from “banking education” but to incorporate the “problem-posing education” system. Specifically on page 216 and 217 he goes into great depth about each system and compares and contrasts the two one directly after the other. Personally, this section was one of my favorites because it served as a recap and brief summary of what the reader has read up until this point.

One thing Freire lacked was statistics and concrete evidence. While he does go into explicit detail about what the “banking education” and “problem-posing education” systems are, can we be certain this is all accurate? Some examples and details he used were eye opening and really made me realize what I should and should not do in my classroom. On the other hand, is every teacher diminishing their student’s capability at being their absolute best in the classroom? While some educators can be harsh and less open to the possibility of learning from their students, not every educator is like that. I am a sophomore at Kutztown University and every professor I have had that pertains to my major has been open to class discussions and hearing what we have to say and how we feel. Therefore, is Freire’s argument entirely valid?

It is so important for educators and their students to have a good relationship with one another. When students feel safe, comfortable, and respected within the classroom by their peers and their teacher it creates a positive classroom atmosphere and some extraordinary lessons and discussions. Whether the accusations and arguments Freire makes are accurate, educators today and future educators need to all realize that we are all a student. In the classroom everyone, including the teacher, is learning. We all educate each other in some way. There needs to be equality and fairness in the classroom and students should be eager to participate and ask questions. I do not feel an education system, such as the “problem-posing education”, can be the solution though. I feel that if these issues are occurring the educator needs to find it within them to overcome their stubbornness and realize that if you are not open to learning from your peers and the students you are educating, then why are you a teacher?