“子曰：君子怀德，小人怀土；君子怀刑，小人怀惠”； “子曰：德之不修，学之不讲，闻义不能徙，不善不能改，是吾忧也”……每天晨读课上，曲阜市的中小学校传来朗朗的诵读孔子诗文的声音，这是曲阜市加强中小学生思想道德教育的一项重要内容。
与曲阜人接触，不论大人小孩都能来上几句《论语》。在曲阜的主要街道上，随处可见《论语》释义、名人名言的内容，受儒家文化的熏陶，曲阜人对思想道德有着较高的标准。
营造优美的环境
走进曲阜，一股文明之风扑面而来，曲阜市为了加强青少年的思想道德教育，加大了人力、财力、智力的投入，建成了曲阜大成路道德长廊、春秋路科普画廊、鼓楼大街名言一条街，内容定期更换，营造了优美的环境。在道德长廊边上，曲阜师范附属小学3年级的学生尹逸帆说：“每天放学后在这里看看，学到了很多的东西，很长见识。”像这样每天利用放学后等家长的时间，都会看到成群结队的中小学生驻足观看。在教室、在走廊，处处都可见到“见贤思其焉，见不贤而内自省也”、“三人行必有我师焉，择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之”、“在外国人面前我代表中国，在中国人面前我代表曲阜”等警句，使学生在日常生活中受到教育和熏陶。
曲阜对网吧也进行了全面整顿，取缔了不规范的网吧。如今网吧里未成年人的身影消失了，老师和家长的心里塌实了。
“未成年人思想道德建设能否抓实抓好，关键在于社会环境的影响，必须提高全体公民的道德素质。”中共曲阜市市委书记张术平如是说。
汲取传统文化的精华
1988年，75位诺贝尔奖金获得者在巴黎宣言：“人类要在21世纪生存下去，必须回首2500年前，从孔子那里寻找智慧。”汲取传统文化的经典和精华，是曲阜市加强青少年思想道德教育采取的有效方法。学生们日积月累诵读古文，不仅提高了语言表达能力和写作水平，而且感悟了人文情思的真谛和如何做人处世。
为了更好地开展诵读古诗文的教育活动，曲阜市开展了“和乐教育”，就是将孔子的教育思想精华与国内外先进教育理论融为一体，运用整体优化的思维方法和工作方法，努力创建宽松和谐的育人环境，通过乐教乐学，促进学生全面和谐地发展。“和”是孔子儒学思想的核心，是指对一些思想、行为采取融合、调和、有机结合的观点；“乐”则是达到“和”这一境界而运用的具体手段。1996年8月，曲阜市的“和乐教育”被批准为山东省教育科学规划“九五”重点课题。曲阜市实验小学的校长马宪余说：“和乐教育汲取了孔子教育思想的精华，具有鲜明的民族特色，潜移默化地提高了学生的思想道德素质。”
为加强对学生古诗文的学习，曲阜市还精选古代哲圣经典与诗词散文，编辑了《中华古诗文经典读本》及《论语》释义读本，装帧考究的《读本》成为学习传统文化、提升道德修养的饕餮大餐，而抑扬顿挫的诵读则成为少年儿童中最儒雅的时尚。自开展诵读经典古诗文以来，该市300余所中小学校中先后有16万名中小学生参加诵读，并从中受益。2003年全市中小学生毕业合格率为100%，优秀率为85%。
曲阜市还充分利用“孔子故居”全国百家爱国主义教育基地，对学生进行传统美德教育，并先后建起了147个道德教育基地和185个道德教育室，组织中小学生参观学习，使学生们在参观的同时感受中华传统文化的魅力。他们努力把这个品牌转化为未成年人道德教育的优势，充分发挥百余个爱国教育基地的载体作用，使青少年道德教育做到了有形化。在孔子故居感悟其素朴的生平，去孔子研究院体味儒家思想的博大精深，游论语碑苑领略国粹艺术，到六艺城里修习“六艺”的乐趣……教育基地激起了广大少年儿童爱祖国爱家乡的热情，成为他们接受德育的第二课堂。曲阜用“请进来，走出去”的形式让学生了解异国他乡文化，组织中学生到美国、日本等国家交流学习，邀请国外的中小学生来曲阜交流文化。
培养良好的习性
曲阜市为培养青少年有一个良好的习性，2002年开展了“公民道德教育年”活动，从领导做起，从大人做起，从身边做起，为青少年做出榜样。同时组织学生投身于“公民道德教育”活动之中，推出了“小公民”社会道德行为“五小”（小帮手、小标兵、小伙伴、小卫士、小主人）行动，学生们亲身实践了自身的价值，体验哲理意蕴的真善美。
切身的教育换来孩子们的自觉行动，每到周末，曲阜一中的学生几个人一组，早早起来，带着小竹篓、铁夹子来到大沂河公园“护绿”，捡拾废纸、方便袋、饮料瓶，还要劝说不自觉的游人不要践踏草坪，认真劲丝毫不比园林工人逊色；在与新修复的明故城墙毗邻的书院街小学，学生们一字排开，干劲十足地在城墙角清理卫生；书院街道官村小学的学生边回收废旧电池，边宣传环保知识；时庄镇的少先队员则来到敬老院为老人们叠被褥，洗衣服……
“学完，看完，感悟完，更要亲自去做一做。”曲阜团市委书记颜凯说：“只有在实践中才能使未成年人的思想道德水平得到升华。”
V isiting Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, one discovers that many residents here - both adults and children Ñ can recite passages from The Analects by Confucius. While strolling around the downtown areas of Qufu, one can see many explanatory texts regarding The Analects and much wisdom quoted from it. Nurtured in the Confucian culture, the people of Qufu have a high level of ideology and morality.
With a view toward strengthening the ideological and moral education of young people, Qufu City has increased its investment in academic personnel, funding, and intelligence. Some special venues have been constructed, such as the Moral Corridor at Dacheng Road, the Popular Science Gallery at Chunqiu Road, and Wisdom Way on Gulou Street. Through periodically changing the various displays at these venues, Qufu strives to create a pleasant environment for the people.
In the classrooms and in the hallways, in fact, wherever you go in the schools in Qufu, you can see mottos, such as these: “In the presence of a good man, think all the time how you may learn to equal him. In the presence of a bad man, turn your gaze within!” “Even walking in a party of no more than three, I can always be certain of learning from those I am with. There will be good qualities that I can select for imitation and bad ones that will teach me what requires correction in myself.” “In front of a foreigner, I stand for China; in front of a Chinese, I stand for Qufu.” All these exert influence on the daily life of the students.
In 1988, some Nobel Prize winners gathered in Paris and made a declaration, asserting, “If human beings wish to survive in the 21st century, we must look back some 2540 years to understand the wisdom of Confucius.” Drawing the essence from traditional Confucian culture is the effective method Qufu has adopted to strengthen the ideological and moral education of young people. Through the memorization and recitation of classical prose, students can not only promote their ability of language expression and writing level, but also can learn how to correctly behave in society.
In order to launch the movement to recite classical poems and prose among students, Qufu has developed a special program entitled “Education for Peace and Happiness,” which aims to integrate the essence of Confucian thought with present-day advanced education theories to create a relaxing and harmonious educational environment for students. Through happy study and happy teaching, it is anticipated that the full-fledged development of the students can be realized. “Peace” is the core of Confucianism thinking, while “Happiness” is the means to attain the goal of “peace.”
Moreover, availing itself of its unique historical status as Confucius’ hometown, which is a national base for patriotic education, Qufu vigorously develops education of traditional moral merits among its students. One after another, Qufu has set up 147 moral education bases and 185 moral education halls. Through organizing student visits to these locations, Qufu encourages young people to feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture by themselves.
At the former residence of Confucius, students can experience the simple living of Confucius; at the Confucian Research Institute, they can learn the erudite thinking of Confucianism; by visiting the Tablet Garden of The Analects, they can appreciate traditional Chinese calligraphy; and at the Six Arts City, they can enjoy the fun of the Six Arts proposed by Confucius, who once commented that scholars should “Seek diversion in the arts.”
All these encourage the patriotic enthusiasm of the students, making these venues their second set of classrooms. Meanwhile, in order for students to have a full understanding of other, diverse overseas cultures, Qufu organizes delegations of students to visit such countries as the United States and Japan, and also invites students of these countries to visit Qufu.
In order to cultivate good habits among youngsters, Qufu launched a movement entitled “Education Year of Public Morality” in 2002. The point of this was to encourage adults to accept public responsibility for themselves, thereby setting good examples for young people. Meanwhile, the students were encouraged to do everything according to high moral standards.