by James Dreyer

Created on: October 05, 2007

The sea of blue and white graduation caps and gowns undulated relentlessly as students moved to and fro to the beat of their "class song". The never ceasing movement and the boom, boom, boom of the deep bass beat reverberating through the speakers was making me seasick. I checked my watch; I had been sitting here for over an hour waiting for my child's name to be called so I could get a photo of the superintendent presenting her with her diploma, shaking her hand, and then sending her across the stage toward her future. Her future; I wondered what would be in store for her next year. Would she be up to the challenge? Had the school prepared her for what she had to face? Did she learn all that she needed to learn? Was she really prepared for - - -THE FIRST GRADE!?

Kindergarten graduation is a reality. It is thought by many to be just as important as High School graduation. Personally, I think it is a little much.

Kindergarten is beginning of a child's public school (or private school) education; it is the first step of many in the educational process. It is the first step in a long and difficult journey. Difficult in that the subject matter becomes progressively more complex and the social interaction among peers changes and becomes extremely complex over the years. The first year of school signifies just that - the beginning. Then, at the end of that first year, we celebrate what - the end of that first year. Yet we do it with the same pomp and circumstance that we use with graduating High School seniors. It makes no sense to me.

To make matters worse, in some schools graduation ceremonies occur at the end of each school year. Some schools do a Kindergarten, 8th grade, and then High School Graduation. At each level, though, many feel that the educational journey has come to an end, for that is what graduation signifies. The end; the successful completion of an educational journey.

It's a pretty short trip when you go from the first day of school in Kindergarten to Kindergarten graduation. Kindergarten is important, don't get me wrong, but to celebrate its completion with full blown graduation ceremony is just a little much. The caps and gowns and parties and celebration; things can get out of hand!

At the eighth grade level things are even worse. Here many feel that the educational journey is complete and don't see why anyone should have to go any further. In those areas of the country where education is not thought of as a necessity for success, success being working a menial job at times for minimum wage, students are not encouraged to continue to High School. Many times students drop out and go to work. It is a premature end to the journey.

Students in our educational system need to have a long term goal. That goal should be High School graduation and then to college, trade-school, or employment. Graduation from the K-12 educational system should be held in high esteem and should be celebrated as a once in a life time experience.

Small family celebrations to celebrate the completion of Kindergarten or Junior High School - yes; full blown, pomp and circumstance graduation ceremonies at any level other than High School (or post-secondary institutions)- no. After all, just because finishing the fourth grade was good enough for Jethro Bodeen doesn't mean it's good enough for everyone.

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