Middle School Graduation an actual thing?

[Rems]

So i was watching an episode of Modern Family where one of the children was graduating, which confused me as i thought she was still in what you would call middle school. However it turns out (in the show and i did a little googling) that 'graduation' from middle school is an actual thing.

I could not believe that graduation from middle school is a serious thing. Maybe its just culture shock, like 'sophomores' and 'freshmen' (still not entirely sure what those are, then again you often call years 11 and 12 college right?) as i'm from Australia where we do nothing like that, most schools just go straight from middle to senior levels with no distinction or fuss and its often at the same school. It seems a bit odd to celebrate graduating from middle school as it doesn't really mean anything right, is there some kind of actual diploma you recieve from merely completing middle school? You're only 15 or so and it just seems weird.

So is middle school graduation an actual, serious thing? Did you celebrate it?

 

[BlueMage]

As usual, we Aussies are the voice of reason to the world.

 

[Bloodfeat]

i do agree this makes no sense, unless "middle school graduation" is like finishing yeah 10 and getting a school certificate, which is also becoming redundant.
Still Australia does do it better in my opinion, only one "graduation party" makes it more special.

 

[Hawk of Battle]

I've never understood the american education system either, being british, where we just have primary schools (ages 5-11) then high school (up to age 16 normally). You can then go on and do A levels for 2 years, either in high school or college, get a job, or go and do some other college course(s).

And then university after that.

 

[Amphoteric]

Well in Britain there is a bit of a thing. You get GCSEs when you are 15/16. The second most important qualifications from secondary school.

But it is just you get results in the mail and that is it. There isn't a ceremony or anything.

 

[Rems]

Oh yea, in Australia we have our school certificate exams, in year 10 after which you can leave school. (The the HSC in year 12 which is you finishing school and will admit you to university) But it's not a big thing and becoming as Bloodfeat said increasingly redundant. We make no big deal out of it.

The American education system and its conventions baffle me sometimes.

 

[Shakomaru]

It's a big show off to the parents to see that their kids are special. Plus it gives everyone an excuse to dress up all pretty.

 

[Shakomaru]

The American education system and its conventions baffle me sometimes.

That can't be the only thing. I live in the silly place, and some of the things people do here are so stupid.

 

[BlueMage]

The American education system and its conventions baffle me sometimes.

Americans in general are baffling. They've no appreciation for a real measuring system and instead cling to their outdated relic from the mother country, PLUS they write the date in the most arse-retarded way imaginable. Humans AND machines have difficulty working with it.

Then they go and support the death penalty while abhorring abortion. One or the other folks.

Oh, and let's not forget what often seems like a nation-wide collective fantasy about a sky-person who doesn't want them to shag but does want them to send money to the nice man on the television.

Wait, you know what? The less shagging they do, the better.

 

[Shakomaru]

The American education system and its conventions baffle me sometimes.

Americans in general are baffling. They've no appreciation for a real measuring system and instead cling to their outdated relic from the mother country, PLUS they write the date in the most arse-retarded way imaginable. Humans AND machines have difficulty working with it.

Then they go and support the death penalty while abhorring abortion. One or the other folks.

Oh, and let's not forget what often seems like a nation-wide collective fantasy about a sky-person who doesn't want them to shag but does want them to send money to the nice man on the television.

Wait, you know what? The less shagging they do, the better.

Also, they make Japan stop spending money on military, watch them get rich, and then spend more than half of their money of military stuff. It makes no sense. stupid america.

 

[Vrach]

We have graduation parties (party!=ceremony) here as well, for elementary, high school and university. Don't see what's wrong with it tbh, it's just a celebration of a long period of time being over and it generally means it's the last time you're seeing a lot of your friends on a regular basis.

 

[Snoody]

We had graduation, which was basically 2 hours of us sitting down watching each other walk up to the podium and get diplomas. Winning.

 

[Dr.Fantastic]

Well at I remember the graduation party at my middle school.
EVERYONE thought it was pointless but we didnt have to go to school for the last day if you chose not to. Even if you didnt they would hand the 8th graders there report cards.

 

[Spambot 3000]

As an Australian, my middle school graduation kind of went - "Hey, you're graduationg from middle school, high-five! Yeah! Okay, you can go away now."
So, it wasn't a real big deal. If it's a big deal elsewhere, then whoopty-frickin-doo.

 

[retyopy]

Its harmless fun. Just because comething doesn't make sense, doesn't mean its not good. We dress up, sing a song, maybe, and then we leave with some print-out degree that says something like, "___ ___ is a graduate from the school of smart!" Doesn't hurt anyone, so who cares?

 

[thePyro_13]

I live in Australia, we had a small graduation ceremony(just another excuse for a school play). But their's no actual graduating going on. At least not in the traditional "reviving accreditation for our learning" type of way.

I suppose this way it's still something nice for the kids to remember(and to tie them to their old schools), rather than just being a thing that happened.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

It is, but only certain people care about it. What was really sad, some parents bought a limo for their kids for elementary school graduation (around age 11 for you guys on other education systems)...

 

[Maclennan]

Its to make people feel important for no reason. Also doles out a bit of tax payer money to stimulise something.
Its kind of new, i didn't get one but my sister did. It started popping up here sometime in that 4 year interval.

 

[meepop]

The American education system and its conventions baffle me sometimes.

Americans in general are baffling. They've no appreciation for a real measuring system and instead cling to their outdated relic from the mother country, PLUS they write the date in the most arse-retarded way imaginable. Humans AND machines have difficulty working with it.

Then they go and support the death penalty while abhorring abortion. One or the other folks.

Oh, and let's not forget what often seems like a nation-wide collective fantasy about a sky-person who doesn't want them to shag but does want them to send money to the nice man on the television.

Wait, you know what? The less shagging they do, the better.

The difference between abortion and the death penalty is that most times, abortion is women who got pregnant accidentally, and who either can't care for the baby, wouldn't care for the baby, or the baby has something wrong with it. Personally, I'm against it like you said. And Catholicism (Or any other religion) is a sign of hope for many people, not just in America. Read up on your facts, because the churches in America are closing, and churches in places like Tanzania are opening.

OT: Yeah, it's a real thing. I didn't realize it didn't happen in Australia, and probably other places. Here in America, you graduate from middle school at age 13, grade 8, at least here, and then you go to high school (Or secondary school). The reason it's celebrated is because it's a fairly monumental event. You've ended your general, widespread education and are moving up to prepare for high school and then college. And even if it's not, still, you've gotta appreciate that you get a party and gifts for making it through eight or nine years of school.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

I've never understood the american education system either, being british, where we just have primary schools (ages 5-11) then high school (up to age 16 normally). You can then go on and do A levels for 2 years, either in high school or college, get a job, or go and do some other college course(s).

And then university after that.

England has a bunch of different ways the education system works. Up in the North East we have primary, secondary and high schools. We don't do graduation for any of them really, there's a small celebration for the people who leave high school after GCSEs or A-Levels but that's it.

OT: You don't actually learn anything important until high school, why the fuck would you celebrate middle school graduation? It's not as if you have to do anything other than listen and complete the patronising homework sheets, there's no challenge to it.