「主体的に自分を育成できる人間力」を涵養（カンヨウ）します
明星学苑は、今を遡る103年前、1923年にこの府中の地に創立されました。この明星学苑を創立から、現在の幼稚園から大学・大学院までの一貫の学園に築き上げたのが、若き日に成蹊学園の創設者 中村春二先生の下で教鞭をとり、その碩学を継承された児玉九十先生です。この児玉九十先生の提唱した建学の精神の1つに「実践躬行（ジッセンキュウコウ）」があります。その趣意は「自分で考えて行動すること」です。
現代社会は価値観の多様化や、生成AIに代表される技術革新、さらには民主主義の概念や方向も含めて地球社会全体の変質が進んでいます。こうした変化が著しく、未来の予想が難しい状態を表す言葉に「VUCA」があります（Volatility：変動性／Uncertainty：不確実性／Complexity：複雑性／Ambiguity：曖昧性、の頭文字）。例えばコロナ禍に起因する労働環境の劇的な変化、ウクライナ侵攻に起因する食糧供給問題、温暖化による異常気象などもその範疇です。いずれの問題も、未来がどう展開し、そこで生きる力とはどのようなものかを考えさせられます。畢竟そこには、個々人が「主体的に社会の変化に順応する能力」が要求されています。そして中高生の皆さんには、この急激な社会の変容を主体的に意識することが喫緊（キッキン）の課題となります。
OECDが2023年に発表した『Learning Compass 2023』では、明るい未来社会の実現のためのキーワードとして、「Agency」と「非認知能力」という2つの言葉が挙げられています。「Agency」とは自ら考え、主体的に行動して、責任を持って社会変革を実現する力。曰く「実践躬行」。非認知能力とは自制心や誠実性、好奇心や協調性など、情緒や社会性に関する数値で表しにくい能力。曰く「心の力」。
教育における知識とは「人が生きる力」を育てることであり、その力が価値を創造し、人間社会の持続性を生みだします。そして、新たな時代を生きる青少年が、社会の変化を肯定的にとらえ、多様性と個の主体性を尊重できる力を認識することで、明るく元気な未来社会が実現できます。
明星Institutionでは、この目的に向かって6年間、全力で未来を肯定的にとらえ、人類社会の中枢で活躍できる人材の輩出に向けて取り組んでまいります。
明星Institution中等教育部 校長
井上一紀
We cultivate the ability to proactively develop oneself.
Meisei Gakuen was founded 103 years ago in 1923 in Fuchu. Its founder is Mr. Kodama Kuju. When he was young, he worked as a teacher with Mr. Nakamura Haruji, the founder of Seikei Gakuen. Mr. Kodama’s educational philosophy was deeply influenced by Mr. Nakamura. Mr. Nakamura imparted his philosophy of “great learning” to Mr. Kodama. Based on it, he built Meisei Gakuen into the integrated school it is today, from kindergarten to university and graduate school. One of the founding principles advocated by Mr. Kodama Kuju is “practice in action.” The gist of this is “to think for yourself and act.”
Modern society is undergoing a transformation on a global scale, including the diversification of values, technological innovations such as generative AI, and even the concept and direction of democracy. “VUCA” is used to describe a state in which such changes are so rapid that it is difficult to predict the future. VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. For example, the dramatic changes in the working environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the food supply problems caused by the invasion of Ukraine, and abnormal weather caused by global warming are all examples of this. Each of these problems makes us think about how the future will unfold and what kind of strength we need to survive. Ultimately, this requires each individual to have the ability to proactively adapt to social changes. It is an urgent task implicit for junior and senior high school students to be proactively aware of this rapid transformation in society.
In the Learning Compass 2023 published by the OECD, “agency” and “non-cognitive abilities,” are listed as keywords for realizing a bright future society. “Agency” is the ability to think for oneself, act independently, and responsibly realize social change. It reflects the fundamental spirit of our institution, “putting it into practice.” Non-cognitive abilities are abilities related to emotions and sociality that are difficult to express numerically, such as self-control, sincerity, curiosity, and cooperation. It is described as “the strength of the mind.”
Knowledge in education is what develops the “power to live,” which creates value and leads to the sustainability of human society. Furthermore, by recognizing the ability of young people living in a new era to view social change in a positive way and respect diversity and individual autonomy, a bright and energetic future society can be realized.
At MEISEI Institution Secondary School, we will work hard over the next six years to achieve this goal, producing talented people who have a positive outlook on the future and can play active roles at the heart of human society.
Kazunori Inoue
Principal of MEISEI Institution Secondary School