We Need to Stop Graduating So Many Students

Every year, sometimes two or three times during the year, schools hold graduation ceremonies. When I was a student, I couldn't wait until graduation because I knew what that meant. It meant I was done. Finished. No more need to study. No more need to learn. No more papers to write. No more reports to make. No more tests. No more grades.

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks.

That feeling lasted for maybe a weekend. Then reality started to sink in. I had to get a job. That required me to write a paper, known as a resume. Then I got a call from a company and was told that I had an interview. That required me to study up on how to interview well.

Then I got the job and was told that I would spend a week in training, which is job speak for learning. And at the end of the week I had to take a TEST. After a week of working I was told that I had to complete a report detailing what I did during that week. And none of this mentions all of the new things I needed to learn while working that wasn't covered in my week-long training. I had a company owner grading my work and letting me know what areas I excelled in and what areas showed room for improvement.

The next year I decided to continue my education by attending college. After four years, I graduated again. And once again I went out into the "real world" and got a job. Once again I had to study, learn, write papers, write reports, attend lectures, and take tests.

After a year of that I went on to graduate school. After my third graduation you would think I finally knew everything there was to know about my chosen subject and could therefore get a job and never have to study again. Never have to write papers or reports. Never have to attend training and lectures. If that is what you would think, you would be wrong.

Some people go on even further so that they can be called Doctor or Professor.

As far as I can tell, the major difference between school and work is that you pay to go to school and you get paid to go to work.

This has all been a bit tongue-in-cheek, for I knew well in advance that my learning would never end. Graduation was simply a recognition that I had completed one step on the ladder of success. But I still believe that we need to stop graduating so many students.

If I were a full-time student today, I might have added another three or four graduation ceremonies to my docket. Not post-graduate school, but pre-high school. Most schools hold graduation ceremonies for those completing middle school, for those completing grammar school, and for those completing kindergarten. A few even have one for those completing preschool.

Truthfully I see nothing wrong with graduation ceremonies for high school and college. But we have made graduating such a tawdry thing that it no longer has the same sense of accomplishment that it once had. It was seen as a right of passage for those who persevered. It was understood to be a high honor for the studious. Only a select few within each class would be recognized for their excellence. Others saw this and knew that if they wished to achieve such recognition that they would have to work harder, strive longer, focus more intently.

Now schools throw diplomas at you every few years and give awards to every student. Special awards for sitting the straightest. Special certificates for an ever present smile. Special recognition for being a responsible recycler. Nobody is special because everyone is special. Isn't that special?

I heard it said recently that virtually every child is a narcissist, because parents and society have taught them that they are the most important person in the world. Everything revolves around them. Everything is bigger and better than they were when we were kids. Birthdays that have expanded beyond a few friends with ice-cream and cake to a themed adventure worthy of YouTube. Weddings that have grown into such extravagance that the bride's family is forced to spend a year's salary or more on the nuptials. These can make an after kindergarten graduation ceremony reception seem insignificant.

I understand that not every student makes it to their high school graduation even in spite of the No Child Left Behind policy. But does this mean we should cheapen the effort for those who do make it? I understand that preschoolers might become upset when their big brother or cousin is graduating high school and the attention is no longer on them. Someday children have to grow up and understand that, in spite of what they learn from Instagram and Reddit and Snapchat and Tinder, not everyone and everything is focused on them.

I noticed that some schools are now referring to the special day as a "Moving On" ceremony for those in preschool, kindergarten, grammar school, and middle school. This at least differentiates their special day from the future special day of graduation, but I fear that our children are too smart to be fooled by a simple rebranding tool. These special days for them only reinforce a desire to be the center of attention. When they do not get that from home or school or friends, they seek it online from invisible friends or complete strangers.

I am by no means intimating that all children are narcissistic and that all parents dote on their children whispering, "My precious." I am concerned however that we seem to have gone beyond merely tossing fuel on the fire of their psyches and have started building a direct pipeline into the furnace. And for some parents, these special ceremonies and events and parties and receptions are more about their own need for attention than about their child's narcissistic behaviors.

These are just my thoughts. I could be completely wrong. It has been known to happen.