The Four Pillars in Education

Introduction
Learning the Treasure within the report of the international Commission on Education
for the Twenty-first Century, chaired by Jacques Delors, and Published by UNESCO in
1996 provides new insights into education for the 21 st century. It stresses that each
individual must be equipped to seize learning opportunities throughout life, both to
broaden her/his knowledge, skills and attitudes, and adopt to a changing, complex and
interdependent world. This is referred to as lifelong learning.

What are the four pillars of education?

The framework organized lifelong into four pillars:
Learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to be
which are fundamental in reshaping 21st century education.
Learning to know

Implies learning how to learn

Includes the development of the faculties of memory, imagination, reasoning,
problem solving, and the ability to think in a coherent and critical way.
Involves the development of knowledge and skills
The skills includes literacy, numeracy, critical thinking.
It also presupposes learning to learn

To learn to know students need to develop learn-to-learn skills as:

Learning to read with comprehension

Listening
Observing
Asking questions
Data gathering
Note taking
Accessing, processing and selecting information

What then is the role of the 21st century teacher?

Facilitator
Catalysts
Monitor
Evaluator

The teacher helps the learners to:

Develop values and skills for searching for knowledge and wisdom,
Learn to learn
Acquire a taste of learning throughout life
Develop critical thinking
Acquire tools and processes for understanding,
Develop intellectual curiosity.

As a result, the learner is transformed- more Enlightened, more Empowered, more

Enriched.

Learning to do

Involves the acquisition of skills

Implies the application of what learners have learned
Demonstrate that in order to learn to live and work together productively
and harmoniously, we must find peace within ourselves
Is anchored within the context of lifelong learning and technical and
vocational education and training, in preparation for life and the world of
work.
Involves not only as putting knowledge and learning into practice
innovatively through skill development and practical know-how, but also as
the development of competence, life skills, personal qualities, aptitudes
and attitudes.

What then should be the focus of education to the pillar learning to DO?

To launch into a lifelong continuum of knowledge, values, attitudes and

skills.
The changing work environment requires the development of new
knowledge and skills.
The increasing globalization and free trade resulting to new economis
pressures requires both individuals and businesses to continually upgrade
knowledge knowledge and skills to maintain their competitive edge.
The need to remain competitive throughout life

The need for values education and training

To summarize, learning to d involves putting knowledge and learning into practice

innovatively through

Skill development
Practical know-how
Life skills personal qualities
Aptitudes
Attitudes

Reporter: Ethyl T. Emboc

Learning to Live Together

Of the four pillars of education, Learning to live together is the one most vital to
building a genuine and lasting culture of peace in both Asia-Pacific region and
throughout the world. The three pillars- Learning to know, learning to do, and
learning to be- are the basis for learning to live together.
Learning to Live Together

Involves the development of social skills and values

Is a dynamic, holistic and lifelong process
Involves developing, broadening or changing perceptions of an attitude
towards ourselves and others

What is the role of the teacher in relation to the third pillar?

The teacher helps the students to develop an understanding of other people

and appreciation of interdependence
The teacher helps the students to realize the value of being able to live
together in their gradually enlarging world
The teacher provides a safe and accepting learning environment for learning
The teacher helps students to develop life and career skills
The teacher helps students develop self-awareness and self-esteem

Learning to Be
The International Commission on education for the 21 st century picks up on this
theme and clearly set as a fundamental principle that education must contribute to the
all-round development of each individual mind and body, intelligence, sensitivity,
aesthetic sense, personal responsibility, and spiritual values. It describes Learning to Be
as, the complete fulfillment of man, in all the richness of his personality, the complexity
of his forms of expression and his various commitments- as individual, member of a
family and of a community, citizen and producer, inventor of techniques and creative
dreamer (Delors, 1996, p. 95).
The Delors commission further defines Learning to Be as a dialectal process,
which starts with knowing oneself and then open relationships with others.
APNIEVEs definition of learning to be is founded in the humanistic philosophy of
education which aims at the overall development of human person as an individual and
as a member of society.
Faures report refers to the individual as unfinished, divided, and incomplete.
According to Paulo Freire, an outstanding Braziolian educator, recipient of
UNESCO International award on Education, the Comenius Medal, humanization is
mans ultimate vocation of destiny, and this can be accomplished through
conscientization.

In the Faure Report, learning to be summarizes the universal aims of education as

follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Towards a scientific humanism

Creativity
Towards social commitment
Towards the complete man

Learning to be operates on the fundamental principle that education must

contribute to the total development of a whole person- body and soul, mind and spirit,
intelligence and emotion, creativity and sensitivity, personal autonomy and
responsibility, social conscience and commitment, human, ethical, cultural and spiritual
values.
The teaching-learning cycle of the valuing process starts with knowing and
understanding oneself and others, leading to the formation of wholesome concept a
sense of identity, self-esteem, self-worth, and self-confidence as well as a genuine
respect for others. It proceeds to the valuing, reflecting, choosing, accepting,

appreciating, and acquiring needed skills such as communication, decision-making, and

finally results into action. It seeks an integration of the learners knowledge, values and
attitudes, abilities and skills to bring about his/her full development. (A UNESCOAPNIEVE Sourcebook 2, 2002).

Reporter: Charlyn B. Arao