The Role of Education: What is Knowledge?

Paulo Friere poses an interesting dilemma in his "Banking Concept of Education." In the text, he challenges the common perception of what the role of education is in students' lives, and specifically what knowledge is passed down to the "oppressed." Friere critiques the "knowledge" students are given in school, identifying it as a transactional relationship, that is, students receive knowledge from the teacher, and are not to question it, or think for themselves. This is in contrast to the idea of "problem-posing" education, which sees students encouraged to think critically by their teachers about their role in making their communities and the world a better place. Friere states on page 7 that "Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferrals of information. It is a learning situation in which the cognizable object (far from being the end of the cognitive act) intermediates the cognitive actors--teacher on the one hand and students on the other" (Friere 7). Here we see Friere speak about what education should really mean for students. It is knowledge that encourages one to think about the problems they face, and encourages them to come up with solutions to not only better their own livelihoods, but the livelihoods of others as well. Problem-posing education drives success in a way that the banking model does not. The banking model is merely facts given to students to memorize. Students are not made to be successful this way, as it only further promotes their oppression. Therefore, in order to ensure the best outcome for students, education should promote critical thinking, resilience, and understanding, instead of just imposing facts on students. Only this way will students be able to break the chain and liberate themselves from the major worldly struggles that they face, instead of just continuing the cycle of oppression that the banking system perpetuates.