Course Title: Social Dimensions of Education

TOPIC: The Four Pillars of Education

Presentor: Mylene S. Abergas

I. Objectives
After studying the chapter, you should able to:
1. Identify the four pillars of education.
2. Create learning opportunities guided by the four pillars of
education.
3. Develop an awareness of the importance of living in
harmony with each other and with environment.
II. INTRODUCTION
Learning: The Treasure Within, highlighted the need for
individuals to "learn how to learn” to cope with the rapid
changes and challenges of the present and the future. It
describes a holistic approach to learning that encompasses
more than what occurs in the classroom. This is referred to
as lifelong learning - a philosophy that involves the
development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values
throughout one’s life—from early childhood through
adulthood. Learning is seen not just as an intellectual process,
but one that encompasses all aspects of an individual’s life,
including their role in the community, performance in the
workplace, personal development, and physical well-being.
III.INTELLECTUAL DISCUSSION
The International Commission of Education for the 21st Century
advocates four pillars of education.

What are the 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 responsibly.

Learning to Know
Implies learning how to learn by developing one’s
concentration, memory skills and ability to think.
It maybe regarded as both means and an end of
human existence. The broader our knowledge, the
better we can understand the different aspects of
our environment.
It involves learning to learn and it offers a
‘passport to lifelong education’ and ‘foundations’
on which to build.
To learn to know, students need to develop learn-
to-learn skills.
o Learning to read with comprehension
o Listening
o Observing
o Asking questions
 o Data gathering
o Note taking
o Accessing, processing and selecting information
Learning to do
 It is the application of knowledge.
 It is the acquisition of a competence that enables
people to deal with a variety of situations and work
in teams.
 It is 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.
 Preparing someone for a clearly defined task and can
no longer be regarded as the simple transmission of
a more or less routine practice…
 Represents the skilful, 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 systematic implications for
individuals and for society, in both the shorter and
longer term.
Learning to live Together
 It is describe as the foundation of education.
 Identified as ‘developing an understanding of others
and their history, traditions and spiritual values’ and
appreciating interdependence in order to create ‘a
new spirit’ that leads to common projects and the
peaceful and intelligent management of conflict.
 It is the most vital to building a genuine and lasting
culture of peace throughout the world.
 It is a lifelong process through which mutual respect
, understanding, caring and sharing, compassion,
social responsibility, etc. are internalized and
practiced together to solve problems and work
towards a just and free, peaceful and democratic
society.
 This third pillar of education implies that the teacher
should help the students to develop an
understanding of other people and appreciation of
interdependence since we live in a closely connected
world. The teacher should help the students realize
the value of being able to live together in their
gradually enlarging world.
Learning to be
 Refers to the role of education in developing all the
dimensions of the complete person: physical,
intellectual, emotional and ethical integration of the
individual into a complete man.
 It is describes as the complete fulfillment of man, in
all the richness of his personality, the complexity of
 his forms of expression and his various
commitments.
 Delors Commission therefore defines Learning to be
as a dialectical process, starts with knowing oneself
and then opens to relationship with others.

“ The illiterate of 21st century will not be those

who can not read or write but those who can not
learn ,unlearn and relearn”
-Alvin Toffler
IV. CONCLUSION
The four pillars of education stressed in the
report of the International Commission on
Education for the 21st Century are learning to
know, learning to do, learning to live together and
learning to be. These pillars are crucial to peace
and mutual understanding. They emphasize the
value of education as a manifestation of the spirit
of unity. This stems from the will to live together
as active members of a global village and
contribute to attainment of a culture of peace.
V. REFERENCES
1. Vega, Violeta A., et al. Social Dimensions of
Education, Lorimar Publishing Inc. pp. 13-24
2. http://signaturepedagogies.org.uk/core-
beliefs/what-is-education-for
3. http://bednotes.blogspot.com/2012/10/four-pillars-
of-education-as.html