传统儒学留给今天的中国高等教育许多优秀的思想资源，值得我们去继承、提倡和发扬。比如，儒学重视礼仪，讲究克己复礼，在现代社会生活中，即是要求人们注意个人道德修养，遵守社会公共准则，维护社会稳定和谐。
我国教育的培养目标强调“做人”与“做事”相结合，但首先是“做人”，然后才是“做事”。“做人”是核心问题，从根本讲，是道德修养，是首要问题。这与我国儒家传统是一脉相承的。
The legacy that the traditional Confucianism has left to the higher education in China today is worth sustaining, advocating and developing. For example, Confucianism stressed amenity and self-control for following the moral standards. In modern social life, it requires people to pay attention to personal moral cultivation, to observe the public rules of the society and to maintain social stability and harmony.
The objective of education in China lays emphasis on the combination of “being a human being” with “attaining accomplishments”. But “being a human being” takes precedence over “attaining accomplishments”. The core issue for “being a human being” is essentially the cultivation of morality, which is of primary importance. This idea can be traced to the same origin as the Confucian tradition in China.
中国古代重视人的全面发展，又充分尊重人的个性发展。孔子提倡教授诸育皆全的“六经六艺”，强调知、情、善、美的统一。同时，又指出“和而不同”认为“和则相生，同则不济”，强调不同，承认不同，在不同中求发展，所以提出“因材施教”，实现人才培养共性和个性的统一。在现代经济社会发展过程中，尊重人的价值、满足个体的需要、发展人的能力问题，人的全面发展和个性发展的问题已日益受到人们的普遍重视和关注。
In ancient China, emphasis has been laid on both the all-round development of a person and the full development of his individuality. Confucius advocated teaching through a full set of moral education doctrines called “the six classics”(namely, The Book of Poetry, The Book of History, The Book of Changes, The Book of Rites, The Book of Music, Spring and Autumn Annals) and the classical six arts (namely, propriety, music, archery, riding, writing, arithmetic), emphasizing both the unity of knowledge, emotion and determination and that of truth, charity and beauty. At the same time, he also stressed “the harmony in diversity”, believing that “harmony generates dynamism and sameness results in impotence”. Thus diversity is stressed and acknowledged and it is considered to bring about development. Based on this, it is proposed that students be taught in accordance of their aptitude so as to realize the goal of nurturing talents through the unity of universality and individuality. In the social development of modern economy, the respect for a person’s value, the satisfaction of an individual’s needs, the development of his ability and the overall development of his individuality are becoming the issues of universal concern.
关于将孔子的诞辰确定为世界“教育日”的建议书
尊敬的联合国秘书长先生，尊敬的联合国教科文组织总干事先生，
我是中国北京理工大人文科学教授胡星斗，在此特别致函于你们，建议联合国考虑中国伟大的教育家孔子之生日公历9月x日设立为世界“教育日”，以促进在全球范围内形成尊师重教、崇尚学习、教书育人的蔚然风气，振兴世界教育特别是发展中国家的教育，维护穷人子弟的教育权和平等发展权，捍卫女童的上学权利，提高识字率，降低辍学率，保障教育公平，落实义务教育，尊重每个人的天赋教育人权，铲除因缺乏教育而导致的时代因袭的
贫困，建设一个人人接受良好教育的高度文明的新世界。
一、为什么要把孔子的诞辰确定为世界“教育日”？
孔子是人类的精神导师，是人道主义的启蒙者，是世界公认的伟大思想家。他创立了中国第一个思想流派——儒家，整理并保护了中国最古老的经典——《诗》、《书》、《礼》、《易》、《乐》、《春秋》六经，为中国文化和世界文化的发展作出了巨大贡献。孔子首开私人讲学之风，向民间普及教育，成为中国历史上第一个人格独立的教授，成为世界上最伟大的教育家之一。
孔子的教育思想基督地丰富了人类的精神宝库。
孔子的教育理念属于世界普适价值，其“有教无类”（不分阶级，人人都有平等接受教育的权利）的思想，是当代“平权”运动、教育公平理论的先驱；其“学而不思则罔，死而不学则殆”（学与思结合），“学而不厌诲人不倦”，“敏而好学，不耻下问”，“学而时习之”，“当仁不让于师”，“志于道”等思想，以及孔子所推崇的礼乐射驭书数六艺教育，因材施教、举一反三的教、学态度等，堪称古今通用的“师道”、“学道”。
孔子以“仁”为教育的核心，极为注重道德、诚信、气节、人格的教育。
这些可以作为今日世界建立道德秩序、信用社会、君子之国的宝贵精神资源
二、联合国将孔子的诞辰设立为“世界教育日”具有重大的意义
联合国如果能够设立“教育日”纪念孔子，将会在全球产生重要的影响，有助于世界教育的振兴、道德和文化的重建。
设立“教育日”，将促成整个世界更加重视教育、关注教育，致力于振兴教育；将有助于提升发展中国家的教育水平，督促各国政府搞好教育特别是义务教育，保障教育公平，维护弱势群体接受教育的权利以及基本人权，减少失学儿童人数，提高女童的入学率。
将孔子的诞辰确定为“教育日”，还有助于人类社会的道德重建，提升全球文明水平，改变道德滑坡、人权沦陷、丑闻困扰、环境危机、恐怖主义盛行的世界现状，促进人们建设一个教育发达、道德昌明的人类家园。
因此，我郑重建议：请秘书长先生 联合国教科文组织认真考虑设立全球性的“教育日”以及把伟大教育家、思想家孔子的诞辰9.28确定为“教育日”的日期，以彰显人类依靠教育提升自我、超越愚昧贫穷的坚定决心。
此致，
敬礼！
中国北京理工大学教授胡星斗
20xx年x月x日
A Suggestion about Setting up the Global “Education Day”
Respected UN Secretary-General Koffi Annan, Respected UNESCO Director-General Koichirl Matsuura,
I, professor Hu from college of humanities at BIT(Beijing Institute of Technology), hereby suggest that UN consider setting up a global “Education Day” and taking the great educationist and thinker Confucius’ birthday-28th September as the date, so as to facilitate a new trend------people advocate learning, respect teacher and honor education in the global scope. Also, it will vitalize the world education especially in developing countries, protect the poor’s rights of being educated and equally developed, defend the young girls’ education rights, ensure equality in education, decrease the dropout rate, implement the compulsory education, eliminate poverty
caused by lack of education from generation to generation, and construct a highly civilized new world in which everyone accepts good education.
I. Why do we use Confucius’ birthday as the Global “Education Day”?
Confucius is a spirit mentor of mankind and the torchbearer of humanitarianism. He is generally acknowledged as a great thinker in the world. He was the originator of Confucianism, and a protector of the oldest Chinese six classics included The Book of Poetry, The Book of History, The Book of Changes, The Book of Rites, The Book of Music, Spring and Autumn Annals, Confucius is considered the pioneer of private education, the first teacher with independent personality in Chinese history and one of the greatest educationists in the world. He spread education from the nobles to the folks, made tremendous contributions to the development of Chinese culture and world culture.
The Confucius’ education thought has highly enriched our mankind’s spiritual treasury.
Confucius’ educational ideas belong to the universal values. His famous word “to teach without discrimination” shows that he is a predecessor of egalitarian movement and equality in education. Confucius’ thoughts----to learn without thinking is in vain; to learn without losing interest, to instruct others tirelessly; to devote yourself to learning and ask questions to the people below you; to study and frequently practice what you have learnt is a pleasure; to teach students in accordance with their aptitudes; educational methods consist of rites, music, archery, riding, writing, and arithmetic, etc. may be the eternal mottos at educational circles. All of these can be accepted as “Tao of teaching” and “Tao of learning” in ancient and modern times.
Confucius paid a high regard to education on morality, credit, and personality which was based on benevolence.
These words can be used as precious spiritual resources for the establishment of moral order in the present world.
II. It is significant to set up a global “Education Day” with Confucius’ birthday
If UN sets up a global “Education Day” in memory of Confucius, it will exert an important influence in the world and facilitate the revival of the world education and the reconstruction of our morality and culture.