Are we really doomed to educational failure? Pedagogy as the instrument of liberation of the oppressed of this world

Abstract

In this article I represent a radical approach to the existing capitalist system of exploitation. The purpose of my analysis is to extract from critical pedagogy its essential elements to undermine the basic assumptions of a society driven by constant lust for profit. Henry Giroux and Peter McLaren, as two radical thinkers, show us the way by which we can claim the system of education from the hands of the oppressors. This is not an easy task, but it can be done if we try to undermine the current system by subversive practices. In this mission, the key role must come to the teachers, who should take into account the presence of different cultural narratives in the classroom. The classroom is not only a neutral space in which the teacher communicates objective knowledge, but also a place where we can close or open for the students the path leading to their liberation by showing them how the social space in their communities is constructed through relationships based on the dominant forms of power and knowledge. Teachers, who are aware of how the school effectively implements its hidden agenda that implies the subordination of the minds of the students, can prevent its implementation by using alternative teaching strategies. To sum it up: a classroom is a very important place in which we can enslave or liberate students by showing them a critical perspective proposed by Marxist theory and practice towards the current capitalist system. In this way, we achieve a milestone in the transformative process leading the oppressed to recognize their subordinated position in the dominant culture, which empowers them to consciously organize themselves in their fight for freedom.