Paulo Freire Essay

The chapter provides detailed overview of life and activities of Paulo Freire. The chapter is of historical and cultural significance, because it aims at expanding existing knowledge about one of the key figures in history. It goes without saying that Paulo Freire is considered one of the most respected and known persons in the history of radical education. The chapter starts from biography of famous educator and proceeds to his activities, occupations and career in related sphere. Firstly, it is necessary to admit that Paulo Freire was born in Brazil, Rectife, in 1921 and he spent many years working in poor regions of his homeland. Therefore, he was aware of poverty and difficulties connected with it. Actually, he couldn’t remain indifferent to people’s suffering and decided to develop methods how to teach illiterate people. It is a common knowledge that many poor people in those times didn’t known how to read and to write. Freire decided to devote his life to improve literacy among poor population. He taught not only children, but also adults how to think critically and, what was more important, how â€Å"to take power over their lives†. Moreover, he created his own classroom to make the process of teaching more comfortable, easier and more interesting. Students and teachers in that class were provided with equal rights and power. They were treated with dignity and respect. Such method of teaching was later considered a model for educating around the world. The net moment to mention is that Paulo Freire taught people in Europe, the United States of America. He worked even for the government in Chile. There, as it is mentioned, he â€Å"trained the teachers whose job it would be to bring modern agricultural methods to the peasants†. Of course, Freire’s mission is honorable and should be respected. He worked out education programs for UNESCO, World Council of Churches, the Chilean Institute of Agrarian Reform, etc. Further, his famous works are â€Å"Education for Critical Consciousness†, â€Å"The Politics of Education†, â€Å"The Pedagogy of the Oppressed†, etc.