When I think of graduation, I think of caps and gowns, diplomas in hand, and families gathered to watch their kids begin a new step into the future...
...but it usually takes place in May or June -- not freezing February.
Yes friends, Korea's school year ends in mid-February, and ushers in the new school year in March. Bizzare to me, but I suppose it makes sense to someone.
Our school's graduation isn't much of a ceremony. As 480 zombie-esque third graders chit-chatted and shifted in their seats, the loudspeakers played "Pomp and Circumstance and the principal walked down the aisle toward the podium. He seemed to speak from the heart as he offered his words of wisdom (I can only guess - it was, of course, in Korean).
The head of the PTO also gave a short speech - again the students talked to their friends throughout the entire event. The relatives gather around the auditorium, take photos, smile, and cry --- while the kids could really care less. (ok, not much of a cultural difference here).
I wasn't expecting much. Last year it was basically the same. The students listen to the national anthem and school song, they take 10 seconds to meditate or pray, and the school shows a slideshow of some of the students intermingled with videos of their teachers wishing them luck in high school. (They'll need it when it comes to all that testing and stress!)
The whole event usually lasts about 20 minutes. This year it took a little longer as the principal (being his last year at our school) decided to hand the certificates to each student. (It's a good thing they didn't call them all up one at a time like in the U.S. - as that would take a while).
The funniest part is how the students change once their final exams are done in December, and the next time you see them in February.
The start like this:
Now, their school uniforms look deterorated - as if they've been stuffed in a closet. Their hair styles change dramatically - longer and more colorful for both the boys and girls. It's time for them to exert their independence for the next few weeks until their high school decides they need to follow the rules. (However, there is a growing debate about allowing students to dye their hair as a human right. Funny how the students fight the school board on that issue - but don't mention uniforms. Maybe they're just picking their battles one step at a time.)
And try to end up looking like their celebrity icons:
I don't know why, but rusty red is the in-style color for everyone this year.
That, and "perms" for men.
Ok, this one I can understand..
but THIS? REEEAALLLYYY????
Overall, I find it great to see the kids expressing their individuality because they don't get to that often. They're in school Monday-Friday, and some Saturdays. They're almost always in uniform, even after school because they're going to after school academies to study more. So even if in the long-run, they still end up conforming to what their peers and idols do, I say cut them some slack and let them literally let down their hair.
And it's nothing like the kids in the States would do. It's usually just hair.
Not all THIS "funtasticalness":
Oh well. I'm looking forward to the incoming 1st graders. If they're anything like my current 1st graders, they should be a blast. I'm not fond of the incoming 3rd graders however - apparently no teacher is. Why couldn't THEY be the ones graduating?
