Freire and Foucault

Freire and Foucault

The Banking Concept of Education

The banking concept of education is similarly related to the banking practices in real life which includes deposits and withdrawals. Paulo Freire had converted it into an example of education which included the deposition of education or knowledge into empty brains of the students who come to educational institutions to grasp knowledge.

The teacher or instructor believes that she/he knows each and everything and the student knows nothing. Paulo describes it as oppression to the society because the students are not given their personal freedom to obtain knowledge, but they were directed by teachers who think that students are incapable of understanding the life. Freire had aggressively stated that this banking concept of education leads to oppression and Annulment of creativity among the students. He emphasized on the fact that people who are subjected to such tyrant and oppressing tactics must develop a force within to fight the oppression and overcome the authority (Freire, 1970).

Panoptic Concept of Surveillance

Foucault believes that supervision is required, but it should be at a distance and coercion should not be present. People should know that they are being observed, but they should not be aware from where they are observed. He has used this theory in order to maintain the behavior of the students, prisoners and patients. Panoptic concept is provided by Jeremy Bentham, which states that, a long tower in the center. The high raised tower must be watching the people within their rooms. This was used in prisons to keep an eye on the movements of the prisoners. In this way, prisoners knew that they are being watched but do not know who is watching them (Foucault, 1977).

Experiences

Educational Experiences (Panopticism)

The experience related to panopticism is from my primary school. I was a 5th grade student and one of the naughtiest students of the class. I never paid attention in class, and was always involved in mischief in class. Once, teacher was writing on the board about the lectures which were being taught. I turned around and started talking to my friend Jake suddenly teacher turns around and looked at me; however I saw her but completed my conversation with Jake and turned around. This is an example of discontinuous surveillance which was entirely opposite to panoptic view presented by Foucault. Human beings should be monitored surveillance should be carried but none of them should know that they are being watched (Foucault, 1977). In this scenario I was able to miss out the surveillance carried out by the teacher as she was busy writing on the board. When teacher turned towards me, she reminded me that she is watching me.

According to panoptic view I must have been continuously being watched without getting the hint that who is watching me. At this event I realized that I can escape the surveillance conducted by the teacher. Foucault wrote that the tower through which surveillance is carried out can be seen by the inmates but, they cannot see which ...