A Critical Analysis Of Paulo Freire's Approach To Education

Rogers (1977) believed that with a proper psychological climate this internal inclination of the individual (personal power) can be released. Rogers believed that this growth-promoting climate has three basic characteristics: authenticity or congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathic understanding. If the aforementioned conditions were present in a relationship between facilitator and oppressed, student and teacher, counselor and client, the following would result:
From a political standpoint, by accepting his/her inner feelings, the client reduces the power others have had over him/her to inculcate guilt, fear and inhibitions upon him/her. Little by little his acceptance and control over himself increases. The more he/she accepts
For Freire, however, the oppressed must create a psychosocial climate of dialogue with the help of the facilitator in the midst of his own oppressive existential socioeconomic situation, and with the aid of a new critical method of
There was dialectics involved here between the oppressed and their existential socioeconomic situation. For Freire, the oppressed had to change their conscience into a transformational one which was not innate to them and which would not develop and grow except under certain specific conditions where they throw themselves into a debate, with a critical examination of their problems and those of their group and community. In this debate, the oppressed would have to take an active part. For liberation to have any chance, the oppressed have to change their frame of mind. There is a need for education for decision making as well as for political and social responsibility. This point is crucial in Freire’s education for liberation pedagogy and it is found to be at odds with Rogers’ central notion. Education cannot make any miracles in the midst of a changeless society. If there are no changes in society there can be no possibility for an education for liberation. The value of education for Freire was considered instrumental and “it will be null if it were superimposed to the conditions of the social context where it is to be applied” (Freire, 1969, p. 7). So for Freire, the value and effectiveness of education is considered to be a function