The Banking Method Of Education

Have you ever sat row upon row, staring at the backs of other students, and being bored out of your skull? Have you ever stood up in front of a classroom of silent students and talked about a particular topic (of interest or not?) for an agonizing few hours. If you have, then you are familiar with what Paulo Freire describes as the “banking concept of education”. In this system, the teacher becomes a narrative character who narrates “education” to her/his students, who are listening patiently. This system turns students “into ‘receptacles’ to be ‘filled’ by the teacher” and negates the individuality of the students, including the unique styles of learning, and the opportunity to either give, or have their input heard. Students are expected to receive information, file it away, only to be regurgitated during examinations. Any attempt by the students to creatively use the information being ‘deposited’ by their teacher is prematurely squashed.

The banking method of education creates a binary where the teacher has an essential role in the students’ education, which then justifies the position of the teacher. The relationship fosters submission, or meekness in the students, who is then more easily controlled by an outside body. It also creates a pattern of speaking that does not allow for listening (a necessary action in dialogue). The roles of the student and teacher fall into an interplay that reflects the colonialistic and oppressive nature of our society. For example, ‘the teacher knows everything, and the students know nothing”, “the teacher chooses and enforces his choice, and the students comply”, “the teacher acts and the students have the illusion of acting through the action of the teacher”, “the teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his or her own professional authority, which she/he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students. “

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