Pedagogy of the Oppressed from
Paulo Freire
About Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator and philosopher who believed that education could be a powerful tool for liberation—or oppression. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970), he offers a bold vision of what education should be: not a system for controlling people, but a process of helping them become fully human by understanding and transforming the world around them.
At the heart of Freire’s work is a major critique of what he calls the “banking model” of education. That’s when teachers treat students like empty piggy banks—just “depositing” information for them to remember and repeat. Freire hated this. He believed that kind of education trains people to be passive, obedient, and disconnected from their own realities.
Instead, Freire calls for dialogue—real, respectful conversation between teachers and students. He believed that education should start with people’s actual experiences, and that learning should be a shared, active process where both teachers and students grow together. The goal isn’t just knowledge—it’s consciousness and liberation. Students shouldn’t just learn about the world—they should feel empowered to change it.
Freire’s ideas were rooted in his work with poor and marginalized communities in Brazil, but they’ve traveled far beyond that context. Today, his vision inspires educators all over the world who want to make classrooms more democratic, inclusive, and socially just. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or just someone curious about how education shapes society, this reading invites you to think big—and challenge the status quo.
Before You Read
Take a minute to think about what school has meant to you. Have you ever felt like your role was just to memorize and repeat? Or like your real thoughts and experiences didn’t belong in the classroom?
Paulo Freire would say that kind of schooling isn’t just boring—it’s dehumanizing. In this reading, he asks us to rethink what education is for. Instead of making people more obedient, he believes education should make people more free—able to ask big questions, make sense of the world, and take action to improve it.
As you read, try to spot the difference between education as control and education as liberation. What would it mean to be a co-creator of knowledge instead of a passive recipient? And what kind of world could we build if schools were truly focused on justice and empowerment?
Guiding Questions
- What does Freire mean by the “banking model” of education, and why does he reject it?
- How does dialogue play a role in Freire’s vision of liberating education?
- What does Freire think education should do for oppressed or marginalized people?
- How might Freire’s ideas apply to your own school experience—or to how education works in society today?
Pedagogy of the Oppressed: Chapter 2 & 3
Where to find this reading
This contemporary text is not in the public domain or shared with a creative commons license. Your college or university may have access to this reading through these different sources:
