有教无类

Pronunciation: yǒu jiào wú lèi Literal meaning: Provide education without discrimination

Origin & Usage

In teaching (教) there are (有) no (无) categories (类). Confucius said it in a society where 类 meant birth and rank, so the claim was substantive rather than pious: he declined to sort applicants by where they came from, and his students included the poor and the disreputable. It remains the standard Chinese banner for educational access, and it is worth reading as the negative it is — not that everybody must be taught alike, but that nobody is to be sorted out beforehand.

Examples

English: "The scholarship program aims to make education accessible to all."

Chinese: 奖学金项目旨在有教无类，让所有人都能接受教育。