High School Graduation Ceremony Pros & Cons

Graduation ceremonies should leave graduates smiling.

After four years of hard work, high school students are ready to celebrate their accomplishment and receive their diploma. Planning the high school graduation ceremony can be a challenge for school administrators. Students should enjoy their ceremony, but it should also be appropriate for family members as well. At large high schools, administrators might struggle with large class sizes and properly recognizing each student. Schools can weigh the pros and cons of ceremonies when planning them to create an inclusive, appropriately celebratory graduation.

Pro: Honors Achievements

High school graduation ceremonies honor the achievement of each graduate, which is essential. Speeches by faculty members or community leaders recognize the milestone that is high school graduation and allow students to reflect on what they accomplished over the last four years. Allowing each student to walk across the stage and receive her diploma gives each family in attendance the opportunity to celebrate their graduate; thus a good high school graduation ceremony takes time to honor the achievement of all graduates.

Con: Recognizes Only a Few

Some high school graduation ceremonies focus solely on the graduating class' highest achievers. While some students, like the valedictorian and salutatorian, deserve this extra recognition, the focus on only the highest achievers ultimately excludes the majority of graduates. Watching the same students go on stage for an award or recognition time after time creates an environment of exclusivity rather than inclusivity. High school graduation ceremonies must find a balance between honoring top achievers and keeping all students involved and recognized.

Pro: Allows Families to Participate

The high school graduation ceremony often is as much for the families as it is for the graduates. It allow families to come together to celebrate the achievements of their children. Often, even family members from out of town attend this notable occasion. High school graduation ceremonies are therefore important in promoting family togetherness and allowing families to celebrate the graduates in a public forum.

Con: Stuffy Rather than Celebratory

High schools might struggle to plan a ceremony that keeps the graduates and audience entertained. Many of the ceremony events are rather somber in nature, including speeches by students and the drawn-out process of distributing diplomas. However, schools have to keep the ceremony formal so that the graduates don't misbehave, so high schools have to find a balance between capturing the graduates' attention and setting an appropriate tone for the ceremony. Allowing families to cheer for graduates when they walk across stage, for example, can lighten the mood and create the celebratory tone that the graduates deserve.

References

• D Greetings: Graduation Ceremony
• University of Nebraska Lincoln: ISHS Graduation Ceremony