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European Journal of Education Studies ISSN: 2501 - 1111 ISSN-L: 2501 - 1111 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu Volume 3 │ Issue 9 │ 2017 doi: 10.5281/zenodo.941444 RELEVANCE OF FREIREAN CRITICAL LITERACY IN INDIAN PEDAGOGIC CULTURE: EFFECTS OF OPPRESSION IN INDIAN EDUCATION Uday Mehtai Dr., Lecturer Pal Rajendra B. Ed. College Mumbai, India Abstract: The prevailing Indian education system and practice seems to encompass autocracy masked with democracy which prevails in the contemporary educational organizations. As a result, oppression and dominance continue at every levels of education. Thus, we require education for democracy which can contribute to a more democratic individual and society. Democratic education that is fostering critical thinking, can contribute to a more democratic society where each and every person has value, dignity, freedom, and a voice in society and the power imbalance existing at all levels of inter-personal relations in education can be definitely overcome. In the present study, a qualitative approach was followed to understand how student-teachers of B. Ed. colleges make sense of Freirean pedagogy and philosophy of education and how it influences their ideas about critical and liberating education. It was based on the participants lived experiences of oppression in Indian society and system of education in India and their perceived meaning and essence of Freire s theory of pedagogy of the oppressed in the present day context. The research study used the empirical, transcendental phenomenological method. The intervention program of 24 hours was followed by focus group interviews for 6 hours at the same college with 15 B. Ed. student-teachers of a private aided college of education. Major theme emerged from the data namely Effects of oppression in Indian education . This research paper emphasizes relevance of Freirean critical literacy in Indian pedagogic culture and his critical pedagogy to Indian classroom situation and discusses effects of oppression in Indian education to promote Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 558 Uday Mehta RELEVANCE OF FREIREAN CRITICAL LITERACY IN INDIAN PEDAGOGIC CULTURE: EFFECTS OF OPPRESSION IN INDIAN EDUCATION a culture of critical and independent thinking among students for social change and democracy. Keywords: Indian education system, democratic education, critical literacy 1. Introduction Educational practice need not be seen as extension but as communication where the extension is negative in nature and communication positive in nature so that it can create awareness about the right kind of education. By way of avoiding authoritarian teacher-pupil models, based on actual experience of students and on a continually shared investigation, each individual can develop a new awareness of self and begin to look critically at the world through dialogical relationships with others. The teachers can examine issues which students see as significant to their community and then initiating action to influence these events. In general, Indian education has a scarcity of student-centred classrooms, wherein students are not encouraged to ask questions, make inquiries, share ideas, and take part in discussions. In addition, students are given encouragement to learn by rote information exactly from textbooks and to stress on preparing examinations where they need to repeat this information. The common barriers to bring in critical pedagogy in Indian education are a purpose of education seen as to help children score high in exams and get jobs, what matters is the syllabus, rote-learning, narration, knowledge seen as fixed just to be passed down and minimal participation. The prospects of better future in Indian education can be shaped more in democratic classrooms to create a more democratic society with an application of critical pedagogies. Hence, with Freire s critical education, critical awareness and thinking can be shaped in the Indian society and classrooms and moreover freedom can be given to students to think, question, act, show, share and criticize critically, creatively, and liberally in an active classroom of faith, humility, joy, love, and peace so that the student learns to question critically why . In light of prevailing prospects and scope for substantial change in the Indian formal education system, critical pedagogy is of relevance and significance to students in the contemporary Indian education and it can be re-invented and made pragmatic in the Indian context to bring social change in India and for global acceptance as a far developed country. To this end, the purpose of the paper is to present effects of oppression in Indian education and the relevance of critical literacy in Indian pedagogic culture and classroom situations with the significance of critical pedagogy for dynamic social and European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 9 │ 2017 559 Uday Mehta RELEVANCE OF FREIREAN CRITICAL LITERACY IN INDIAN PEDAGOGIC CULTURE: EFFECTS OF OPPRESSION IN INDIAN EDUCATION educational progress and to promote critical, reflective, and creative thinking toward liberating education. For downloading the full article, please access the following link: https://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejes/article/view/1056 European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 9 │ 2017 560