明德中学国际校长论坛于2013年11月8日闭幕。来自美国、加拿大、韩国、日本、澳大利亚以及包括台湾在内的各省市的400余名著名专家、中小学校长莅临此次教育盛宴。经过两天的会议，形成了了以下《校长国际论坛明德宣言》。

国际校长论坛海外校长们合影

中学校长国际论坛明德宣言

（2013年11月8日）

我们深刻认识：

 人类正在经历一个前所未有的美好时代，走向一个充满不确定性的未来。我们在尽情享受由经济高度繁荣、科技日新月异、信息全球共享、文化东西交融、教育创新传承等所创造的福祉的同时，也普遍面临着经济失衡波动、信息鸿沟拉大、文明冲突频现、传统道德解构、教育质量提高受掣及其交织所带来的诸多困惑与问题。

 问题的解决需要教育的力量，世界影响着教育，教育也改变着世界。教育助推人类实现全面和可持续发展，促进国家变革与社会进步，引导地球村的共同价值观滋润文化差异的罅隙，培养未来合格公民，为我们和我们的子孙后代赓续克难提供着不竭的支撑动力。

 跨越不同国家、地区的中学校长，聚首中国湖南明德中学，设坛论道，研讨本土化与国际化及多元文化交融背景下的基础教育，源于共同的理想、信念、追求，终身执教的真切感受，直面困惑与问题的勇气，开创未来的积极理念，让我们迸发出了深埋心底的共同呼声——

我们真诚期待：

 教育应该成为人类经济、政治、文化力量之外的新的重要的一极，并应优先获得良好和稳定的发展，以促进人类不断步入更高形态的文明。

 为此，希望国际社会与各个国家、各种团体能够充分意识到教育所具有的特殊能量，各尽所能，支持教育发展的优先性与至上地位；期冀在地球的每一个角落，每一个人又都能以自己的切实行动，帮助这一目标的达成。

 同时，全球教育工作者都应该努力回报社会各界的支持与关爱，用高质量的教育服务与质量，惠及每一个阶层的每一个公民和成员。

我们郑重宣告：

 教育可以超越国籍、种族、阶层、宗教、文化等藩篱，拥抱全球教育工作者推崇的共同价值信念。包括但不限于：关注每一个人平等、自由、全面、充分发展的人文情怀；努力追求真理，善于质疑、研究、实践的科学精神；谨遵教育规律、注重教育成效的专业理性；不断自我更新、勇于探索的学习素养；倡导交流合作、分享同侪成就、寻求共同发展的宽阔胸襟。

 中学教育是国民教育体系的基础与砥柱，校长的使命是使每一位学生和教师获得健康的、自主的、全面的、充分的发展，进而使得学校的事业获得长足发展，促进国家与社会的进步。为此，校长尤应以学校为中心，以实际行动致力于建立教育愿景，引领师生发展；优化教育环境，营造教育氛围；开发教育资源，提供全面保障；提升教育能力，确保教育效益；响应社会变化，坚持正确方向—— 在全球化的时代，毋庸讳言，教育的本土化坚持与国际化交融煎熬着每一个校长乃至每一个教育工作者。我们呼吁，教育应该关注当下，回应现实，但更应该放眼世界，面向未来。在教育教学改革中，既要坚持“校本”的、民族的，又要海纳百川广泛汲取国际化的经验，在传承中创新，在本土化中国际化，于国际化中本土化。

 为了我们的幸福和人类的未来，全球同侪们，行动起来！为了教育的灿烂明天，让我们从分享、合作、互助的平凡工作中开始！

Mingde Declaration

International Forum for Secondary School Principals

We come to the following profound understanding:

  At the best times in the history, the human race is marching toward a future of uncertainties. While enjoying the blessings brought by economic prosperity, science and technology advancement, global information sharing, cultural exchanges between the East and West as well as inheritance and innovation of education, we are also faced with a plate of perplexing problems, i.e. economic imbalance and fluctuation, yawning digital gap, frequent clash of civilizations, degenerating traditional morality and education bottleneck.

  To solve these problems needs the power of education. The world we live in has a great impact on education, and vice versa. Education advances comprehensive and sustainable human development, promotes national reform and social progress, upholds the common values ??of the global village and bridges the culture gaps and cultivates qualified citizens for the future. In a word, education is an inexhaustible powerhouse for the survival of future generations.

  Secondary school principals from different regions and nations gather here in Mingde Secondary School in Hunan, China, to attend the forum and discuss primary education against the backdrop of localization, internationalization and multicultural integration. With shared ideals, beliefs, pursuits and feelings from our teaching career, we all have the courage to brave the perplexing problems and the positive attitude to create the future. Let’s now voice our yearning.

We hold sincere expectation that:

  Education should be regarded as an important new pillar, on par with economy, politics and culture. A sound and prioritized education will push human beings to a higher level of civilization.

  Therefore, I hope every nation and organization in the international community will fully realize the special potential of education, and assure education development as a top priority. We hope that everyone in every corner of the world will take concrete action to achieve this goal.

  Meanwhile, educators around the globe should endeavor to return the care and support to the society by providing high quality education and services, which can also benefit every citizen of every stratum.

We solemnly announce that:

  Education can break the chains of nationalities, races, classes, religions and cultures, and embrace the common belief of educators around the world. Education implies but not limited to: attention to every individual’s equal, free, fully and well-rounded development; the scientific spirit to question, research and practice for the pursuit of truth; rational professionalism by adhering to the rules of education and stressing effectiveness of education; relentless self-improvement and the inquisitive learning spirit; and the broad mind that advocates communication and cooperation, and is ready to share with peers for common development.

  Secondary education is the foundation and cornerstone of the national education system; the mission of the principals is to deliver healthy, independent, fully and well-rounded development to every student and teacher, thus facilitating the progress of every school as well as the whole nation and society at large. Therefore, the principal should materialize the school-centered education visions by leading the development of teachers and students, optimize educational environment for better learning atmosphere, tap educational resources for all-dimensional support, improve education capacity and boost education performance, stay in tune to social progress and never lose the sight of the right direction.

  In the era of globalization, it goes without saying that balancing localization and internationalization is rather tricky for every principal and even every educator. We urge that education should focus on the present and the reality; however, it should also go global and be oriented toward the future. Educational reform should be based on the school and the nation, but also draw strength from international practice. In short, we shall innovate and inherit, think global and act local.

  In the interest of the happiness of our generation and the future of the entire human race, my fellow educators, let’s act now! For a promising future of education, let's get started with our daily work of sharing, collaboration and mutual assistance.