Editorial | Celebrating the class of 2023

The feel-good, all-empowering time is upon us in Jamaica once more as students graduate from various schools. From kindergarten to university, thousands of students are donning robes and goofy mortar board styled hats, as they parade at these ceremonies where they ultimately collect their certificates and diplomas.

In small rural communities, a graduation can be a social event for everyone, including those who simply come out to show their appreciation for the school and the work it is doing to educate their children.

Viewed as a momentous occasion in a student’s life, there are, however, critics who say they are an absolute waste of time, demanding unnecessary expense for a one-time event, particularly if the student is not graduating from university. They argue that there is a difference between school-leaving or prize-giving ceremonies and graduations. They further the argument by explaining that a graduate is one who has completed a course of study and has collected a degree or diploma. Why, they ask, should there be elaborate graduation ceremonies for students who are merely transitioning from kindergarten to primary or from primary to high school?

The pageantry that heralds a graduation ceremony emanates from 12th century universities in Europe where Diploma Days were celebrated wearing the scholar’s gown, mortar board, and such other traditions which are now well entrenched around the world. They marked the commencement of a scholar’s life.

IMMENSELY POPULAR

Notwithstanding where and how it began, graduations or commencement ceremonies have become immensely popular. Students adorned in their spanking new gowns march with confidence carrying with them the hopes and dreams of a promising future, being wildly cheered on by teachers, parents, family and well-wishers. Graduands, as they are called, morph into graduates by the end of the ceremony, by which time they would have collected their certificates.

There is a mountain of symbolism in these ceremonies. They signal completion, accomplishment and progression to another stage of life. The day of graduation becomes a treasured memory for the graduate. But not just the graduate. Many parents were never afforded the opportunity to complete the elementary stage of their education, they have never walked across a graduation stage. And, to see their children do so is the fulfilment of a dream.

While the middle and upper classes can boast generations of scholastic accomplishments, many working-class people are for the first time witnessing this milestone moment within their family circle and, for them, it’s a major life event. It is not unusual for them to proudly display graduation photographs in their homes as they savour such achievements.

INSPIRATIONAL

Graduation ceremonies can be highly inspirational, too. In the case where students have had to overcome hardships and hurdle various challenges, achievement is usually celebrated and provides ample motivation to those looking on.

While we celebrate the graduation season, we should be reflecting on the sombre side. After the cheering has ended, these graduates have to think about their next steps as they move into a period where they will continue their social and cognitive development.

The upcoming school year could be marked by challenges if the predicted exodus from the classrooms continue. This could have a debilitating effect on eager students with the thirst for knowledge, and create anxieties for the new learners.

Then there are those who are seeking employment and who are confronted by few job prospects. How do they face the future with confidence if they cannot use their newly garnered knowledge to create a better life? At the end of the day, one may be forgiven for asking whether graduation jubilation is justified.