Pedagogy of the Oppressed is an educational philosophical book written by Paulo Freire and translated by Myra Bergman Ramos. The book was first published in 1968 and was translated to English two years later. Paulo Freire is a Brazilian philosopher and educator who is famously known for his views on critical pedagogy.
In terms of argumentation, Pedagogy of the Oppressed talks about the relationship between the oppressed and the oppressor, the student and the teacher, and proposes ways that improves this relationship. The main thing Freire talk about criticizing the way of education used in most places which he called the "banking system" where students are treated as piggy banks and teachers keep injecting information the way they want with the amount they want to the students. Freire rejects this way and sees that a co-educational way is the best way, which is based on "dialogue, critical questioning, love for humanity, and praxis, the synthesis of critical reflection and action".
The book received numerous positive reviews and is until now used in education. It received a 4 out of a 5-star rating on Goodreads. The synopsis on Goodreads says about the book: "The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world". A member of Goodreads praises it by writing: "This is one of those books you have to masticate and digest rather than swallow without chewing. Freire makes a salad of education, dialogue, poverty, consciousness, and liberation. He shares how the powerful have historically dehumanized much of society through subtle yet oppressive means via the aforementioned themes".
