12 Pillars of Education

12 Pillars of Meaning and Connection

Twelve Pillars of Meaning and Connection (below) is a framework that provides a holistic approach to education, fostering good people, good education and good global citizens.

Three Life Goals
The first three pillars are the Three Life Goals. Values education, social and emotional learning and spiritual texts are based on learning the values and abilities that help us: 1) manage ourselves well, 2) manage our relationships well and 3) contribute positively to society and manage our natural environment well.

Three Moral and Psychological Domains
The second three pillars are the three moral and psychological domains that underpin the three life goals. These are 1) reasoning, 2) emotion and 3) behaviour.

Three Teaching and Learning Domains
The third set of pillars are the three teaching and learning domains of learning, wellbeing and service. A holistic education needs to foster 1) intellectual and creative abilities, 2) emotional and social abilities that underpin wellbeing and connection with others, and 3) service learning through public service that supports personal development and the common good.

Three Global Citizen Mindsets and Practices

The final sets of pillars are the three global mindsets and practices of 1) shared universal values, 2) interdependence, and 3) mutual prosperity. These mindsets and practices foster global citizens who seek to find our common humanity and shared values. Global citizens also have a profound sense of our interdependence and an awareness of the interconnectedness of self, the human community and the natural environment.