importance of a good environment for a child's education; Mencius' mother moved three times
A yojijukugo derived from the story of Mencius' mother, who moved house three times to find a suitable environment for her son's upbringing. Used to emphasize the influence of surroundings on a child's learning and character.
See also: 孟母三遷の教え (もうぼさんせんのおしえ)
The story of Mencius' mother moving three times teaches the importance of the educational environment.
A longer phrase explicitly meaning 'the lesson of Mencius' mother's three moves'; 孟母三遷 is the compact yojijukugo form.
From the Chinese story of Mencius' mother, who moved three times to provide a better environment for her son's education. The phrase is a yojijukugo (four-character idiom) adopted into Japanese.