During his lifetime the private school he established had enrolled 3000 students. It is generally agreed among historians that Confucius' philosophical and education ideas are recorded in the 'Four Books' The Analects of Confucius (Lunyu), the Book of Mencius (Mengzi), the Great Learning (Daxue), and the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong); amongst othersIn Chinese society, prior to the twentieth century, these four classics were among the textbooks for those who planned to take the imperial examination which selected officials for the imperial government.

Educational History: Confucius aka K’ung-fu-tzu 551 to 479 BCE

Confucius, or K’ung-fu-tzu, married at the age of 19, got employed as a storekeeper and later as a superintendent of parks and herds. He established a private school when he was about 30 years old (522 BCE) and gained a reputation for his expertise in ‘rituals’.