Graduation

Welcome, educated reader, as we discuss the American practice of graduation, and how it compares to its British counterpart.

Let me start by saying, over here in the US graduation is a Big Thing. In fact, the Americans celebrate the end of any phase of education as a big deal. Graduation as a formal entity happens when you finish High School at 17/18 years old, and when you finish college after what's usually a 4-year undergrad degree, but there's also plenty of celebration when you finish elementary school, usually involving yard signs:

High School graduation definitely isn't something we're used to back in the UK. We were exposed to this particular rite of passage in all its glory this year, as our friend and neighbour's daughter reached the end of her school career before going off to college. In proper Silicon Valley style, the graduation in question was live-streamed on YouTube so we were able to tune in.

What we saw was a two-hour ceremony consisting of inspirational speeches by teachers (but of course you can't just call them teachers here - in the spirit of American linguistic complexity, they're "faculty") punctuated by musical performances by the graduating students. The climax was all the graduating students being called out by name to receive their diplomas on stage, all wearing gowns and mortar boards. It was a great experience to be invited to see this quintessential bit of American life in action.

Obviously leaving school isn't anything like this in the UK (it's more likely to involve simply finishing your last exam and doing a small amount of under-age drinking), but the other thing that's worth noting is that there's no universal exam system through which High School students pass; the diploma is based on teacher assessment and doesn't appear to be centrally moderated. There are tests that are used as part of the college admissions process, but these happen earlier in the year and aren't directly connected to the process of finishing up at high school.

The Americans love their pageants, they love to mark an occasion, and they love the naivety of inspirational speeches (this is the country where Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" isn't just interpreted literally, it's more-or-less the alternative national anthem). Graduation, whether it be High School or college, gives a great excuse to do that.