1. Sarah Lynne B. Ting June 26, 2013
BEED.3rd
-A Prof. Ofelia Dizon
The Four Pillars of Education
I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
 Identify the first two of the four pillars of education
 Create learning opportunities guided by the pillars of education
 Act creatively in one’s environment
II. Subject Matter
Reference: Social Dimension of Education by Violeta Vega Ph.D.
page 13-18
Materials: Visual Aids and Hand-outs
III. Lesson Content
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 21st
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 adapt to a changing, complex and interdependent world.
What are the Four Pillars of Education?
The International Commission on Education for the 21st
Century advocates four pillars of
education.
Learning to know, that is acquiring the instruments of understanding;
Learning to do, so as to be able to act creatively in one’s environment;
Learning to live together, so as to participate in and cooperate with other people
in all human activities; and
Learning to be, so as to better develop one’s personality and to act with ever
greater autonomy, judgment and personal responsibility.

2. Learning to know
Learning to know implies learning how to learn by developing one’s concentration,
memory skills and ability to think. This process of improving concentration skills can take
different forms and can be aided by the many different learning opportunities that arise in the
course of people's lives (games, work experience programs, travel, practical science activities,
etc.).
This type of learning is concerned less with the acquisition of structured knowledge than
with the mastery of learning tools. It may be regarded as both a means and an end of human
existence. Looking at it as a means, people have to learn to understand the world around them, at
least as much as is necessary for them to lead their lives with some dignity, develop their
occupational skills and communicate with other people. Regarded as an end, it is underpinned by
the pleasure that can be derived from understanding, knowledge and discovery. That aspect of
learning is typically enjoyed by researchers, but good teaching can help everyone to enjoy it. The
broader our knowledge, the better we can understand the many different aspects of our
environment. Such study encourages greater intellectual curiosity, sharpens the critical faculties
and enables people to develop their own independent judgments on the world around them.
A truly educated person needs a broad general education and the opportunity to study a
small number of subjects in depth. This two-pronged approach should be applied right through
education. The reason is that general education, which gives pupils a chance to learn other
languages and become familiar with other subjects, first and foremost provides a way of
communicating with other people.
Thinking is something children learn first from their parents and then from their teachers.
The process should encompass both practical problem-solving and abstract thought. Both
education and research should therefore combine deductive and inductive reasoning, which are
often claimed to be opposing processes. While one form of reasoning may be more appropriate
than the other, depending on the subjects being taught, it is generally impossible to pursue a
logical train of thought without combining the two.
To learn to know, students need to develop learn-to-learn skills. Such skills are Learning
to read with comprehension, listening, observing, asking questions, data gathering, note-taking
and accessing, processing, selecting and using information so that students can become lifelong
learners.
The role of the teacher then is a facilitator, catalyst, monitor and evaluator of learning
because the process of learning to think is lifelong one and can be enhanced by every kind of
human experience. In this respect, as people’s work becomes less routine, they will find that their
thinking skills are increasingly being challenged at their place of work.
Learning to do

3. Learning to do is another pillar of education. In addition to learning to do a job or work,
this second pillar should, more generally, entail the acquisition of a competence that enables
people to deal with a variety of situations, often unforeseeable, and to work in teams, a feature to
which educational methods do not at present pay enough attention.
Learning to do demonstrate that in order to learn to live and work together productively
and harmoniously, we must first find peace within ourselves, expand our acceptance and
understanding of others, and continually strive towards living the values which enable us to
contribute more fully to the development of a peaceful and just society.
“Education must contribute to the all-around development of each individual- mind and body,
intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic sense, personal responsibility and spiritual values.”
–Delors Report
It describes the learning to do pillar not only as putting knowledge and learning into
practice innovatively through skill development and practical know-how, but also the
development of competence, life skills, personal qualities, aptitudes and attitudes.
It is clear that technical and vocational education and training need to encompass all four
pillars of learning in order to prepare the individual with the knowledge, skills, qualities, values,
attitudes, and abilities to communicate effectively and work together productively with others.
Faure envisioned education as “reaching out to embrace the whole society and the entire
lifespan of the individual” and imagined a world in which every person has the opportunity to
keep learning throughout life and which lifelong education would be the keystone of the learning
society.
The Delors Commission describes learning throughout life as the “key to the twenty-first
century… essential for adapting to the evolving requirements of the labor market and for better
mastery of the changing time-frames and rhythms of individual existence”.
The need for lifelong learning is accentuated by increasing globalization and free trade.
New economic pressures require both individuals and businesses to continually upgrade
knowledge and skills to maintain their competitive edge.
The need to remain personally competitive throughout life raises the obvious concern of
equitable access to learning opportunities and also to meaningful work for all, and the urgency
for maintaining and advancing human dignity and worth.
Learning to do represents the skillful, creative and discerning application of knowledge
because one must first learn how to learn effectively, how to think creatively, critically and
holistically and how to deeply understand the information that is presented, and its systemic
implications for individuals and for society, in both the short and longer term.