Paulo Freire's "The Banking Concept of Education"

     Friere defines narration sickness as a poor concept and practice of conveying information from teachers to students.  The problem he sites is that teachers take an authoritative stance as ones who possess all the knowledge and the students or subjects are empty containers needing to be filled.  Friere attempts to expose the problem in this system which is an assumption that knowledge and reality are static or motionless; when in fact it is moving, growing, changing, and therefore can be taught by the student and learned by the teacher.


     In high school I was lucky enough to get good teachers for the most part.  I had a few bad apples, but could get along with most and really enjoyed a few of my teachers.  My senior year I had the privilege of learning under a fantastic AP Biology teacher named Jeff Lukens.  He used the banking concept of education and was more effective than almost all other teachers I had in high school.  There are a few staples of the banking concept of education that were practiced in the class, but not all of these main concepts were used.  "The teacher knows everything and the students know nothing."  This was the case.  "The teacher chooses the program content, and the students adapt to it."  Also, "the teacher chooses and enforces his choice, the students comply."  These three were practiced in class.
     I think these methods were effective and beneficial in this particular class.  First, practice of biology is difficult and tedious as the levels progress in schooling.  For this reason, I and other students had to approach the class with the understanding that we know nothing.  There are certain things that we may have had general ideas on, but we didn't actually understand much.  Also, Mr. Lukens had to choose the subject material for us because we would have had no clue where to start.  He lead us well.  He taught us information that was pertinent as well as a gateway to being able to understand more.  But he was responsible for the subject matter nonetheless; we would have had no clue where or what to begin learning.  Although Mr. Lukens used the banking concept of education he never lorded his position over us as students.  He practiced this concept of education out of necessity according to the subject material and that was wise.


     One of my other favorite teachers in high school was my AP English teacher my junior year.  Gina Benz was the teacher (an alumni of USF) and she used the problem-posing education method.  She was the first teacher that allowed me to experience the problem posing education method and I am forever grateful.  I am appreciate because she taught us how to think instead of teaching us what to think.  This method worked out especially well in an AP class because I was around other students who wanted to engage and be engaged by their peers.  Mrs. Benz applied the practices of encouraging dialogue and open discussion.  She allowed the process of everyone speaking, teaching, and learning, to take it's course.  Those speaking were not superior to those listening.  The goal of discussion was truth and the means to that end was freedom to think and process ideas.
     As was the case with Mr. Lukens class, this style of educating was possible and necessary due to the specific class.  Mrs. Benz wanted to empower us to engage our culture and think about the world around us.  So by eliminating the authoritative position and subordinate rank of the student Mrs. Benz she opened the door to free thought and speech from all sides.  The class often split down the middle on issues in discussion but we were able to think through these ideas for ourselves.  Our teacher never took sides or called anyone wrong.  Instead she acted as the guiding rudder to let all sides be heard and allowed the class to come to a conclusion on our own.  She gladly acknowledged that she learned from us as well as us learning from her and others.  Overall, Mrs. Benz used the problem-posing education method well because it was indicative to the goal of the class and she eliminated the barriers between her and students so that we were able to learn how to think which equipped us for multiple other areas of study.


      Neil Postman would undoubtedly be an advocate for the problem-posing method of discussion within education.  This practice was surely a trademark of the Athenians.  I enjoy this style of class and have a few periods that utilize Friere's preferred method of education.  The classes that utilize the problem-posing method are my favorites.  Sometimes I wish other classes would use it but these classes are also classes focused on the memorization and understanding of facts; and not so much discussion material is involved.