昨日は勤務校の卒業式でした．卒業式は英語で commencement というのですが，「はじまり」という意味があるので，「さすが海外の大学は日本よりも前向きで良い」みたいなことを言われがちです．留学期間の長かった私は，留学体験記の類で commence… と目に入ったところで，「日本よりも前向き」というフレーズが見えるようになりました．百人一首の上の句と下の句のようなものです．個人的な好みを言うならば，commencement の素晴らしさを伝えるために，別の何かをクサす必要はないようにも思います．日本でも海外でも，素晴らしいものは素晴らしいのです．
学生の頃，卒業式は学生のイベントだと思っていました．今もそれは変わらないんだけど，立場が変わると，卒業式に様々な思いでかかわる人がいることもわかってきました．今の私は教員として卒業式に参加します．教員にはガウンを着て壇上に上る人もいますし，学位を授与する人もいます．スピーチをする人もいます．特に何もしないけど，自分が授業を持った卒業生が誇らしげにしているのを見て，それを誇らしげに思っている人もいます．今年の私は一番最後のグループでした．
現職について 3 年余りですが，今年の卒業生は私の着任の直後に入学したグループです．1 年の一般教養のクラスと，3 年の専門のクラスを担当しました．自分のクラスの学生は全員の顔を認識するような小さな大学です．顔見知りの学生が私を見つけると，写真撮ろうよ，と声をかけてきたり，1 年前に担当した流体力学のクラスの感想を今になって教えてくれたり，あるいは卒業後の仕事の話をしてくれたりと，授業期間中とは別のやり取りがあります．各々の学生が何らかの達成感を持って卒業するのであれば，教員としても嬉しいものです．ところで今年卒業するグループは，入学から卒業までの全期間を見届けました．まずは一仕事したかなということで，学生だけではなく，私も達成感を感じる卒業式でした．
教員として参加すると，学生が親御さんに私を紹介してくれることがあります．シンガポールでは，アジア的というのか，父権主義的というのか，いわゆる「うちのバカ息子がお世話になりました」のような感じで丁寧にして下さる親御さんが多いのは印象的です．恐縮する場面ではありますが，嬉しそうにしている親御さんを見るのは，教員としてもやりがいのある場面と言えます．
私が留学生だったので良くわかるのですが，卒業する留学生が自国から両親を迎えるのは大変です．式典では家族は壇上に上がる学生と分かれて着席する場合が多いのですが，ご家族が英語が苦手な場合は，卒業生が手伝いをすることになります．親御さんにしたら，自分が言葉を話せず心細い状況で，留学した子が自分の話せない言葉でコミュニケーションを取って助けてくれる，その当事者であることほど，子どもの成長を感じる瞬間はないんじゃないでしょうか．勤務校ではベトナムやインドネシアの周辺国から留学生がきています．ご家族が喜んでいるのはよくわかります．
振り返ると学生の頃は，卒業式は友達と一緒に騒ぐ最終日でした．卒業生は卒業生の立場でやりたいことがあったはずですが，今になると教員にも家族にも悲喜こもごもがある式典だと思います．結婚式は自分のための式典ではなくて親や周りの人のための式典だ，のようなことを聞いたことがあります．同じことが卒業式にも言えるんじゃないでしょうか．
少し話が飛ぶのですが，日本の大学についてです．東大が世界ランク 46 位に没落，というニュースがありました．Times Higher Education (THE) の定番で，毎年この時期の風物詩ですね．
大学にはこうあって欲しい，と意見を持ってる人ってどれくらいいるんでしょうか．大学は不要だけど世界ランキングは高いままであれ，短期的に役に立つスキルを教えて就職支援をするが基礎研究の論文数は減らさない，卒業基準を厳しくして学位の質は保つけども全員４年で卒業させる，などと，様々な立場の人が矛盾することを求めているのが今の日本の大学のように思います．
大学には様々な役割がある，というのもわかります．時代に沿って変わっていく，というのもわかります．ならば，どのように予算と時間（エフォート）を分配したらいいと思いますか．そして限られた資源の分配と優先順位の付け方は，誰がどのように決めたら公正でしょうか．大学の中の人間が決めても良いですか．
様々なオープンクエスチョンがあると思うのですが，人によって持っている前提が違い過ぎる中で，リンゴの重さとブドウの粒の数とバナナの長さのような，単位の違うものを足し合わせて競争する総合ランキングに対して一喜一憂するのも生産的ではないように思います．他方で，論文数の減少など各論において切迫した課題があるのも事実でしょう．
最後になりますが，本文の前半では卒業式の情緒的な話を書きました．卒業式で見られるような学生の達成感，親御さんの喜び，卒業した大学へ居場所を感じる意識などは，KPI と呼ばれる単純に数値化できる指標には含めづらいところなのです．私は大学だけではなく，教育機関が提供している大事なものだと思いますし，これらは卒業式だから可視化しただけで，学生が教育機関を通じて日々享受しているものだと言えます．これらは教育機関の価値として考慮されるでしょうか．あるいは，これらを価値だと考慮できる余裕が社会にあるでしょうか．
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