It is the process of raising people’s critical awareness of reality.

Education as the “practice of freedom”, by attaining critical awareness men and women can transform their objectconditions.

can best work within a three— pronged approach: Organizing, techno-economic work, networking

builds linkages with support groups who can assist the people to act upon their own development. (participatory development)

ROLE OF PEOPLE : People as objects

The practice expanded to Central America

It aims towards conscientization.

It aims to perpetuate the ideology and social practices of the few who controls economic and political powers.

The term popular education gained recognition ; it was sustained partly because of the people power fever which swept the country at that time.

• Linked with the mass movements • From the masses, to the masses • Education for liberation • Action—Reflection cycle • People’s participation • Nationalist orientation • People—centered • Process—oriented • Collective learning • Holistic • Problem—posing • Simple and Popular

Emphasis is also given to trainings which are functional to one’s socio—economic concerns, rather than treating it as a mere theoretical undertaking.

Literacy, numeracy, creativity, critical analysis, independent judgment. (popular education)

Paolo Freire’s literacy training programs among peasants in Brazil.

(socio—economic work and appropriate technology) aims to respond to the immediate economic needs of the majority. It also strengthens people’s organizational capabilities to gain access and control over resources in their environment (participatory development)

FORM OF CONTROL : Social Control

is a key process in the empowerment of people. (Empowerment of the poor)

Current development practice demands a type of training which is partisan to the poor; a type which is ______, _______and _____.

RELATIONS: Manipulation – Collaboration

In the Philippines, peasant movements and workers union have a long history of educational activities geared mainly to strengthen their organization.

Historically, this alternative view of development training primarily evolved from five core elements in development work:

The emergence of “people’s participation” in many United Nations documents in the mid—1970s also generated interest in a type of alternative education for the masses which would prepare them to actively participate in the development process. (Hague, et.al., 1975).

RELATIONS: Cooperation-Partnership

Provides KSA necessary for people to adapt to the dominant elite culture and sustain oppressive production relations.

Development training as: 1. A crucial step in the social preparation for more critical and responsible participation.

Development training, then, becomes a venue for synthesizing people’s experiences and form the basis for reflection.

leads to people’s increased control over what knowledge is valid and useful and to people’s concerted action to improve their conditions.(Conscientization)

A tool of colonial and elite powers to subjugate the people’s consciousness;

Training then facilitates both individual and group growth. It aims to synthesize group analysis of the situation as well as strengthen skills for sustained and systematic action.

Has its roots in liberating education.

This same phenomenon is observed in many poor countries. Freire (1970) differentiated between domesticating and liberating education based on his experiences in Latin America.

It inspired by the possibility of offering education outside the formal school structure (non-formal education) and the need to provide skills needed in order to become productive citizens.

has three equally important and complementary dimensions: political knowledge, general knowledge, .technical knowledge

negates people’s experiences and view them as passive observers of change. (Conscientization)

ROLE OF PEOPLE: People as subjects

It derives its focus from adult education: the individuals’ unique and functional experiences as basis for education

new wave of alternative education spread over the continent in adopted in a number of Southern African states, namely South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Tanzania

has been described as an ‘option for the poor’ or ‘education for critical consciousness. “

greatly influenced by the concepts and methods of adult education, NFE, literacy campaigns, Cathechism, conscientization, and the nationalist mass movements in many third world countries

Development training as: 2. A continuing effort to strengthen local capabilities to sustain such actions.

The concern for more experiential and dialogical teaching methods has several advantages: — learning is based on common experiences; — self analysis/reflection is facilitated since students are treated as adults; — methods used contribute to greater retention or learning experiences

Adult are viewed as active learners. They have certain characteristics (e.g years of experience, maturity, sensitiveness to failure, etc.) which must be considered to identify more effective methods of learning.

Political awareness, class consciousness, cooperation, solidarity, collective action. (popular education)

Training is empowerment - one of the basic goals of empowerment is to enable trainees to make themselves better than they were before they were trained.

Empowerment creates self reliant communities. It is development, by, for and of the people.

FORM OF CONTROL: Towards people’s control

The practice moved on to South America. In most cases, this type of education is linked with the land issue among peasants and urban poor.

Soviet Union’s Labour schools in the early 1900s, the French Modern School Movement in the 1920s, China’s education—production schools in the 1940s, and Cuba’s literacy program in the 1950s.

METHODS: Problem-Posing

Provides a countervailing force that criticizes and offers alternative systems.

can be sustained through continuing efforts in group mobilization, supported by research and training. (participatory development)

merging individual concerns with group interests, gradually moving from immediate issues to community issues. (community organizing)

anchored to the notion that the individual can only develop in society and that education takes place everywhere (Stewart, 1985).

It involves: 1. Capacity building 2. Change and its management 3. Democratic processes 4. Change agents acting as capability builders & enablers 5. Technical soundness as important as the human process

Operating and managing production processes and running organizations (popular education)

From the concept of conscientization (Freire) and liberation theologians in the 1960s, popular education focuses on developing critical awareness and transforming society.

A potent instrument with which the masses fight for oppression

In the Philippine context, such concept of ___________ tends to widen the gap between the few rich and the majority who further subjugates people’s consciousness.

It is “popular” in the sense that it aims to reach the majority, the less privileged and poor sectors of society.

Training is an integral part of raising people’s consciousness and facilitating collective action.

METHODS: Banking

Primarily concerned with social transformation (the poor, gain access and control over social resources).

is both an orientation and a methodology. It is not concerned with mere transfer of knowledge but in generating knowledge from the people’s own praxis. As a methodology, popular education is characterized by EXPERIENTIAL, PARTICIPATORY and DIALOGICAL APPROACHES to learning.