A freirian view to childhood education

Abstract

This article arises from discussions and debates held during the II Seminar "Paulo Freire, life and work in movement: dialogues that endure," held between Sergipe and Bahia in 2021. With the purpose of reflecting on Early Childhood Education in light of Paulo Freire's ideas, the event brought to light questions that encouraged broad reflections: What are Paulo Freire's conceptions of childhood? How does he see children? What contributions does Freire's thought offer to Early Childhood Education? To answer these questions, we adopted a qualitative approach. The result of this study points to the need to ensure an emancipatory Early Childhood Education inspired by Freire's concepts, aiming at an education for social justice, for a visible, dignified and pleasurable childhood, capable of developing the dreaming, creative and bold capacities to, through the education of children, reduce social inequality. Young citizens need a quality education that meets the peculiarities of childhood. In this context, a pedagogical practice is needed that values ​​respect for children as active subjects in their learning process, recognizing their uniqueness and potential. Furthermore, it is essential that the educational process be based on dialogue and cooperation, in which children can express themselves freely and develop a critical conscience from an early age. Inspired by the ideas of Paulo Freire, we propose an Early Childhood Education committed to the formation of conscious citizens, capable of questioning reality and actively participating in the construction of a more just and egalitarian society.