THE CONVERGENCE BETWEEN THE TEACHINGS OF PAULO FREIRE AND THE PRINCIPLES OF DECOLONIAL EDUCATION: PATHS TO EMANCIPATION AND RESISTANCE TO EDUCATIONAL COLONIALISM

Abstract

This study investigates the convergence between the principles developed by Paulo Freire throughout his trajectory as a theorist of education and the foundations that characterize decolonial education. We recognize that educator Paulo Freire has always been committed to the education of socially, economically and culturally disadvantaged populations. In addition, he sought to implement educational models that aimed to overcome hierarchy in the classroom, criticizing "banking education" and placing the subjective experiences of students and educators at the center of pedagogical discussions. In this sense, Freire sought to transcend an "objectified" education, going beyond capital, with the aim of promoting social emancipation. In view of this, we ask: how do Freire's principles converge with those of decolonial education? To answer this question, we theoretically use works by Paulo Freire, such as "Education as a Practice of Freedom" (1967), "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" (1974), "Awareness" (1979), "Pedagogy of Indignation" (2000) and "Pedagogy of Autonomy" (2011), as well as literature on decolonial education. Methodologically, we adopted a qualitative approach, based on the contributions of Haguette (1995) and Minayo (2001), and carried out a bibliographic research according to Gil (1999), employing a comprehensive analysis inspired by Weber. We conclude that Freirean and decolonial principles converge to the extent that both promote a liberating, critical education committed to social transformation, valuing the knowledge and cultures of the oppressed and seeking to overcome the power structures imposed by colonialism.