Feedback from the Banking Concept of Education by Paulo Freire - Essay Example

Feedback from "the banking concept of education" by Paulo Freire According to Paulo Freire, the modern form of education that involves the student giving a listening ear to their teachers may not after all be the most effective form of education. In real sense, the author calls it the ‘banking concept of education’ whereby the teacher plays an active role while the students are merely passive in the learning process. This leads to a situation whereby the teacher is in control of everything including the knowledge that they are dispensing to their students. This only means that the students are empty vessels that need to be continuously filled with knowledge without them actually participating in the learning process by airing their views and opinions. In this regard, this paper gives a response to the article "the banking concept of education" by Paulo Freire, clearly and analytically discussing this system of education. Although it is true that students especially in the contemporary world, flourish academically as a result of their ability to master what their teachers have taught them in class, it is worthy also to note that such memory is very instrumental in many fields of study and ought to be nurtured. Generally, the system of formal education has inculcated in the schools through teachers that the students who have the exceptional ability to memorize and master harvested concepts, vocabularies, and outlines are the best academically. While this could be true to some extent, there is a significant need to be cautious in relating this to the academic potential of the concerned students, as sometimes the opposite is true. The banking concept of education is not only harmful to the education sector as a whole but also to the students who merely act as the recipients of knowledge rather than contributors to knowledge. In addition, this system of education normally turns out to be ineffective majorly due to the fact that some of the so called ‘A’ students do not normally perform well in institutions of higher learning and even in the professional world. This is because there is no direct correlation between the ability for one to memorize others’ opinions and the application of the same in real world situations. Such scenario only means that the teachers only use this method of education to assist students pass their examinations and proceed to the next level. Since there is not a single person who has the monopoly of knowledge, it is not a good idea for the teacher to pose as one by being the narrator. The students, who due to their naivety humbly submit to their teachers’ authority, only have to listen and regurgitate what they receive when the right time comes. In essence, this ‘banking concept of education’ only turns the students into receptacles and Freire is quite right in his assertion that there is urgent need to make an overhaul in the education system so that the relevant methodology has be inculcated. Furthermore, the teacher rather than the student becomes the central part of the learning system, which ought not to be the case. For effective learning to take place the learning process ought to be centered on the student with the teacher only playing an instructive and supervisory role. Perhaps it is crucial to point out that there are significant lapses with the ‘banking concept of education’ considering that each person and student for that matter, is unique in their own ways. With this in mind, the whole idea of education ought the take the center stage in everyone’s life especially the parents, teachers, students, and the education providers. Both the teachers and the students ought to work together in order to give more meaning and sense to the education system as a means of transforming students into responsible adults. While the teachers could be doing this due to lack of adequate information about the appropriate teaching methods, it is imperative that they also keep learning in order to keep abreast of the changing technology and adopt the relevant education concepts that can suit the present generation. When it comes to the impact of the education system that forces the students to be receptacles of knowledge, it is important to note that more often than not, the concept produces dismal results. This is particularly so because the individuality of the students does not feature in the learning process. Usually, every student is unique in their rights and can therefore significantly contribute to the learning activity if given a chance. Nevertheless, the so-called banking concept of education has denied many students the chance to express their academic views over the years. This means that the students have only progressed through a passive way of learning that does not exploit their full potential thus denying them the chance to discover themselves and their inner abilities. Unfortunately, any attempts by the students to explore new grounds by utilizing what they have learnt in class have turned futile. This has been largely attributed to the dissuading influence by their teachers who are very reluctant to see new inventions through creativity by their students. Perhaps it is understandable that such teachers do not want to see their students being more intelligent than they are or they are simply reluctant to change. This has proved to be an appreciable impediment to the creative learning that leads to self-discovery in students. It is high time that the teachers recognizes the inherent ability of each student and in that regard, give them the necessary platform to practice their skills and abilities during any learning session. This will perhaps accord all the students equal learning opportunities so that the academic ability of a student in school will change from the capacity to regurgitate their teacher’s conveyed knowledge to the capacity to which the students can exploit their potentials in a wholesome manner. Despite the fact that the banking education method places more emphasis on the teacher rather than the student, it has also made tremendous milestones amid certain setbacks. Essentially, many students have prospered both academically and professionally because of achieving high grades in their learning institutions through the banking method of education. This has been possible through a teacher-centered learning approach that puts more emphasis on the students’ ability to listen, ingest, analyze, and regurgitate the knowledge that they receive, whenever needed. Additionally, more talented student in terms of their memory capacity have proved to perform very well in both technical and specialized courses such as Law, Engineering, and Medicine that require keen attention to details. However, when the student keep on listening than talking in class, they become meek and submissive in nature, traits that are not useful in many practical occasion. This is especially so when the teacher does not encourage dialogue among the students in order to allow for the haring of ideas. Indeed, most of the real life situations require individuals who are able to employ their God-given abilities in tackling various challenges. This will not only affect the students alone but virtually everyone because we live in a world of challenges and people have to participate actively in solving such problems. Moreover, this system of education only enhances the imperialistic perspective of the society where the powerful oppress the less powerful using the available tools and resources. According to Freire, teachers use methods that can no longer work to impart knowledge on students, as knowledge requires hopeful and restless re-invention and intervention in all aspects of the world with human beings (72). This essentially means that for effective education to take place there has to be the actual interaction between individuals whereby they learn from each other such that there is democracy in speech and opinion. This will lead to openness among the students as opposed to the methodology where the teacher is the sole conveyer of knowledge. Additionally, learning process is mutual and therefore it cannot be said that the teacher is a reservoir of knowledge that they control. At times, the students could come up with crazy but creative ideas that have the power of transforming the world that the teacher ought not to ignore. This is largely because at some point, the students normally have more insightful ideas than their teachers do. Hence, it is only reasonable that their teachers regard knowledge and opinions coming from the student with the integrity that it deserves. In summary, it is important to note that knowledge is very extensive and in this regard, it can never be the reserve of any individual irrespective of how exceptionally gifted they could be. With this in mind, the banking method of teaching is an approach whose time has passed, as modern technology put the students considerably ahead of their teachers in virtually all aspects of education. Therefore, the education sector ought to be liberal in the sense that both teachers and students ought to be viewed as equal partners in the learning process with the teacher only offering instructive and supervisory roles. This will not only enhance the competence and skills of the students but it will create an enabling environment for the weakest students to learn and participate competitively in an academic environment and beyond. In real sense, the liberal approach to education will eradicate the mentality of ‘object’ and ‘subject’ within a learning environment hence enabling the students to achieve their full potential both in their academic and professional lives. Read More