Graduation day 5th April 2017

[Jack Peterson]

16 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Yes, and that includes my aircon cleaner LOL.  I just texted him to find out where he's at (supposed to be here).  "Sorry sir, is it ok if I come at 1?"  So maybe he was at one of them graduation parties last night 

 Hmmmmmmmmmm If it is the one I use he did this to me Last week but he is pretty quick once you get him there 

Edited April 6, 2017 by Dave Hounddriver
Moderator note: Responded by PM as we are getting off topic here :-)

[sonjack2847]

Some of the responses on here beggar belief. We are all on more money than most of the people at that graduation and some of you say waste of time just an excuse for a party.Well when some of the people at the graduation live on 2-300 pesos per day it is a welcome break for them from poverty.The gowns are all rented from the school and there was no food at that graduation.The venue it was held was a no smoking and no alcohol establishment.

[Gary D]

As many kids don't finish their education due to poverty any milestone is worth celebrating. Unfortunately the schools often look on it as another way of squeezing a bit more money out of the kids.

[SNAFU]

13 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I think the children are rightfully proud of themselves and frequent graduations encourage them to go forth and reach the next milestone in their lives!

Unless, of course, they hear all the adults snickering about how its a useless, commercial event and then, just like with Santa Claus, the joie de vivre they had been feeling evaporates. Life becomes dull and boring and all about how much money you can make and how fast you can make it.  They start to think about saving enough money to hurry up and go to a place like Philippines, where life is still cheap and simple and fun.  Isn't that what we have done with kids in the west?  Is that what we want kids in Phils to be like?

My sentiments exactly, Dave, very well said. That's why we're here.

[OnMyWay]

On 4/5/2017 at 2:11 PM, sonjack2847 said:

Today I went to my daughters graduation it was a nice venue and went without a hitch.

Congrats to your little girl!

We will start our 3 year old soon but have not chosen a pre-school yet.  Our older daughter's school has preschool but it would be very hard for me to drive them separately there, twice a day.

Even at pre-school level, a moving up ceremony is important.  It gives the kids a sense of accomplishment and also helps them learn how to participate in a ceremony.

Our daughter's school is private and they don't have too many "graduations", and they certainly are not drinking parties for the parents.  I think there is a graduation for pre-school, probably kindergarten and then nothing until 6th grade, which was last year for her.  I think the next one will be 9th grade.

What they do have every year is "Recognition Day" and only the top students and their parents are invited.  We are very proud that our daughter has been "with honors" the past 4 years, and we enjoy going to recognition day.  We usually try to go out for some family fun to celebrate afterward.

 

[Queenie O.]

Not to go on about it but back in the eighties here in the Philippines, even families with the poorest children in the province figured out a way for their young children to attend school. The Philippines used to put more emphasis on education than they do now.  Now in the province, I often see children that regularly don't attend school for reasons of helping the family or just plain carelessness on the part of parents. There is no law here that says children up to a certain age must attend school. I'd rather be the ones encouraging or celebrating any milestone in education for kids here be they rich or poor. I party for a child moving on in school makes more sense than the many fiestas that people waste money on.