The Pillars

Education is at the heart of both personal and community development: its mission is to enable each of us, without exception, to develop all our talents to the full and to realize our creative potential, including responsibility for our own lives and achievement of personal aims (Delors, 1996). Education is very important in life because without it humans will find it difficult to develop themselves. The purpose of education is to educate a nation’s life and to develop the human resources as optimum as it can. The higher the education quality of one nation, the higher the human resources quality that will be obtained. Education must be able to prepare the people to play an active role in all parts of life by prioritizing national unity and not disunity. There are four pillars of education proclaimed by UNESCO that need to be developed by formal education institutions, namely:

Firstly, “Learning to Know”. It involves the acquisition and development of knowledge and skills that are needed to function in the world. Examples of skills under this pillar of learning include literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking.

Secondly, “Learning to Do”. It involves the acquisition of skills that would enable individuals to effectively participate in the global economy and society. These skills are often linked to occupational success, such as vocational and technical skills, apprenticeships, and leadership and management competencies.

Thirdly, “Learning to Be”. It involves activities that promote holistic personal development (body, mind, and spirit), for an all-round ‘complete person.’ These include cultivating one’s self-analytical and social skills, creativity, personal discovery, and an appreciation of the inherent value provided by these pursuits. An example under this pillar is a teacher who participates in training workshops that will enhance his/her knowledge and skills in the teaching-learning process.

Lastly, “Learning to Live Together”. It involves the development of social skills and values such as respect and concern for others, social and interpersonal skills, and an appreciation of the diversity among people. These skills would enable individuals and societies to live in peace and harmony.

In conclusion, it is important to note that the four pillars of learning relate to all phases and areas of education. They support and interpenetrate one another and should therefore be applied as basic principles and generic competencies for integration in and across subject areas or learning domains. The four pillars of learning could be perceived and applied as fundamental principles in reorienting the setting of curriculum objectives.