Freire, Paulo (1921–1997)

Paulo Freire was one of the world's most renowned educators and philosophers of the 20th century. He was born in Recife, Brazil, on September 19, 1921, and died of heart failure in São Paulo on May 2, 1997. His life began and ended in Brazil, but his life and works reflected a position of dissent to political, economic, educational, and sociological aspects of his own country and of many other countries. His written works have been translated into every major language and his own journeys as an educational leader took him throughout the world. He left his footprints in numerous countries of every continent as well as a legacy of principles for reforming society and the role of education in society.

Freire's career as an educator began as a teacher of Portuguese in secondary schools. He soon became involved with adult education; specifically, with helping workers and their families. During the early 1960s, Freire became the director of Cultural Extension at the University of Recife, whose focus was bringing literacy programs to the poor. At this time, Freire became active in the faith-based communities of the Catholic Church in Brazil, which in turn gave birth to the movement of liberation theology. His efforts at reforming educational practices with and for the poor and workers coincided with his personal religious beliefs about creating a more just and humane world for all, especially the oppressed.

His educational theory and practices continued to intersect with his religious beliefs and practices, and both were rooted in the Brazilian experience of the 1960s. They both began with a commitment to the oppressed and marginalized of any society. The military coup of 1964 led to his imprisonment for 70 days and eventually to exile for his dissenting activities. He went to Chile for 5 years, where he continued both his educational and religious activities. In 1968, he wrote his classic book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. His educational theory and practices influenced the documents of the Medellín Conference of Latin American Bishops (1968), which officially recognized liberation theology as both a theology and a religious movement, committed to the oppressed and the poor and to social justice.

In 1970, Freire accepted an invitation to teach at Harvard University in the Center for Studies of Education and Development. While he was there, Pedagogy of the Oppressed appeared in both English and Spanish. This book quickly became the [Page 392]hallmark of his work and method. Much of his later written works evolved out of the pages of this book.

The main ideas of Freire's educational theory and practices focus on the rejection of a banking method of education, which centers on the teacher imparting knowledge to the student as if making a deposit in a bank. These deposits can then be called upon as the teacher desires or as part of an examination. Unfortunately, this characterizes most educational practices throughout the world. Freire's method begins with rejecting this type of teaching and is replaced by a dialogical method, focused upon problem solving, creating solutions to the problem with a view of implementing the solutions in order to create a more humane and just society. His method is one of praxis, an ongoing process of reflection and action.

...