The “Banking” Concept of Education
1. “Problem-posing education is revolutionary futurity.” In an English class (like the one we are in) the teacher would have us read short essays about how certain individuals feel. After that we would reflect upon what we read and discuss, not only with each other but also with the teacher, and share ideas. Therefore everyone teaches everyone else because none of us know everything. I don’t think that I’ve ever been in a history class like this. It seems like history is already written and the only thing left for arguement is why something happened but the fact that it happened will remain and cannot be denied. Math is much like history. It has already been done by someone else so you just use the existing theorums and laws to do the math at hand. Teachers can be expected to learn all kinds of things from their students. Anything from new ways to think about things to what’s the latest trends. Just this morning one of my classmates was showing my Calculus teacher how to use an iPod.
2. The use of the term “praxis” refers to our creativity, transformation, and knowledge. He says, “For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human.” Without our ability to be creative, to transform, and to know we are merely animals in this world. In the education system today we are removed from our “praxis” and are forced to sit there and be “filled” with all of the teacher’s knowledge.
3. Freire seems kind of prejudiced against the education system as we know it today. And in talking about making deposits in a bank, he is really depositing this idea into a bank. While I read this, I never felt like I would be able to get a word in with him.
