This paper discusses the educational philosophies of Paulo Freire and their application to feminist theory.
This paper explains Paulo Freire believes that an education curriculum should be designed to promote learning through individuals’ critical thinking, which contrasts to the style of education in oppressive societies. The author points out that `Problem Posing`, as opposed to `Banking`, a core component of Freire’s educational philosophy, aims at bringing the most out of an individual because individuals are presented with a problem, and the individual is expected to solve it through critical thinking. The paper relates that feminist theory agrees with Freire’s philosophy that women are oppressed through `banking` education’s continuing the status quo for generations through the dominant male class.
Besides the inclusion of disadvantaged students being at the receiving end of the banking approach to education, in general most individuals are also oppressed. Educational as it is known is an ideological apparatus of the ruling class in society. So, it is through this apparatus that the masses are controlled. The curriculum so designed to educate the masses aid the ideological apparatus in maintaining control. Hence, by society the masses accepting the curriculum as good or are unaware that there can be other approaches to learning they help the ruling class maintain power.