Ensino Religioso: por uma prática que promova conscientização

Recognizing that the presence of the Religious School Teaching discipline in public elementary schools in Brazil is a complex and controversial subject, it is of fundamental importance that alternatives be sought so that its offer takes place in such a way as to enable the emergence of conscious and participatory people in the process of transforming society. It was in pursuit of this objective that the authors of this article found in the category of conscientizacao, proposed by Paulo Freire, a possible way for teachers of the Religious Education discipline of Brazilian public schools to contribute to the formation of autonomous citizens, with a critical conscience, capable of making their own choices, with full freedom. Methodologically, the article was organized using the See, Judge and Act method. This method of analysis allows us to look at the socioeconomic, political and cultural reality in which people are inserted, to confront a specific theoretical instrument, with the aim of proposing possible ways and alternatives for the promotion of a liberating education. Thus, in the first section analyzes two theoretical categories related to education, namely: banking education and liberating education. In the second section, an attempt was made to weave an approach around the category of conscientizacao, proposed by Paulo Freire. In the third section, the authors present possible paths of action for a liberating education based on the teaching of Religious Education.