Philosophy of education in Paulo Freire

Abstract

Paulo Freire developed his theory and method of education in the course of his work against illiteracy among the people of Northeast Brazil. Himself a native of Recife, Freire suffered the effects of living in a society dependent for its development on external markets. Because of his intimacy with the problems of the "Nordesinos" he was able to formulate a theory of education which raises central issues, such as the exercise of political power and the relationship between theory and practice (when most educational reformers simply evaded them). Freire, in the Marxist tradition, analysed the history of Brazilian society. He came to the conclusion that Brazil from the time of its occupation by Portuguese and Spanish imperial forces has been undergoing repression in various ways; it passed from irnperialist to colonial, to neo-colonial rule. [...]