Understanding Paulo Freire's Banking Model of Learning

Paulo Freire, a renowned Brazilian educator and philosopher, is best known for his critical analysis of traditional education systems. In his seminal work, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," he extensively discusses different approaches to education and learning.

Freire described what he called the "banking concept of education" or the "banking model". This model views the student as an empty container or account to be filled by the teacher. In this approach:

• The teacher is the active subject, possessing knowledge.
• The students are passive objects, merely receiving and storing information deposited by the teacher.
• Knowledge is treated as a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing.
• There is a rigid separation between the teacher and the student.

Freire heavily criticized the banking model because he believed it stifled creativity, critical thinking, and dialogue. He argued that this model perpetuates oppression by treating students as objects rather than active participants in their own learning and in the world.

Instead of the banking model, Freire advocated for a "problem-posing education" or "critical pedagogy", which involves dialogue, critical consciousness, and the active participation of students and teachers together in understanding and transforming their reality. However, the question asks which model he *discussed*, and the banking model is the one he meticulously described and critiqued as the dominant traditional approach.

Therefore, the model of learning that Paulo Freire extensively discussed, primarily to critique it, is the banking model.