Paulo Freire: celebrating the Brazilian education pioneer
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Paulo Freire, a prominent Brazilian educator and philosopher, would have turned 105 on September 19th. Born in Recife, Brazil, in 1921, Freire developed a teaching approach centered on dialogue, student autonomy, and active participation in learning.
He became known for believing education should be a tool for understanding and changing the world around us. In 2012, Brazil officially recognized him as the Patron of Brazilian Education.
Freire’s work extended beyond basic literacy, addressing issues of inequality, colonialism, democracy, and popular participation. Even after his death over two decades ago, his ideas continue to influence schools, universities, and popular education initiatives both within Brazil and internationally. The Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) specifically uses Freire’s methods to teach literacy to adults and train people in settlements and camps.
In 1991, Freire participated in the launch of a literacy project with the MST in Hulha Negra, Rio Grande do Sul, directly linking literacy to broader social organization and struggle.
He believed access to knowledge was a fundamental right, stating, “It has to do exactly with two fundamental rights…the right to know what one already knows, and the right to know what one does not yet know.” After a military coup in 1964, Freire went into exile, eventually working in Chile where he trained approximately 10,000 educators and reached over 225,000 campesinos with his pedagogical methods.
He later worked in Switzerland and African countries before returning to Brazil in 1980, eventually serving as São Paulo’s Secretary of Education. Despite recent attacks from the Brazilian right wing, Freire’s work remains influential, and his ideas are explored in five key books highlighted to commemorate his 105th birthday.
