Graduation is a privilege, not a right. It's for people who earn it and you lose that privilege with gross abuse of the rules.

Wow, maybe I'm just older now, but my graduation class had a whole list of no nos that would result in us not going to graduation. Most of them were mundane things like dress code, or skipping classes at the end of school, etc. It's been a long time ago now, but I think we were even threatened with not getting our diploma in some instances. So yeah, these students got off real light.

they asked permission, then went ahead and did it anyway. That alone would be enough, although I don't entirely agree with Greenday (it's mostly a quibble over wording- the way he put it implied the graduation ceremony is a privilege that must be specifically granted, when it's more one that can be taken away. I'm 99% sure he meant the same thing I do, though.)

However, I will say that removal of graduation ceremony privileges shouldn't be done lightly- an obvious no-no would be requiring a perfect disciplinary record to attend. (the way I see it, it should require serious misbehaviour close to graduation, or evidence you plan to disrupt the ceremony.)

I mean it's a privilege. You earn it. You have to get good enough grades to get it. And you behavior factors into getting there too.

In Oz, most schools have Muck Up Day, which is normally the last day of school before the exam prep & exams began. Usually it is a casual dress or fancy dress day. Most schools have a list of things that the graduating class can and can't get away with. You break those rules and you get punished. For our school, depending on the 'crime', punishment could be anything from being banned from the school except for doing exams, having to do your exams in the city instead of the school or not being allowed to go to graduation.

In the 5 years I was at high school, only 2 people had to do their exams in the city and weren't allowed at graduation. Those 2 girls trashed classrooms with paint, destroyed students art assignments and egged teachers cars amongst other stupidity.

The list of things we could do was huge, if you got creative. We had a traditional water fight at the front of the school. We even had teachers that would join in with back pack super soakers. We could decorate the outside of classrooms. Hell, even glitter and confetti was allowed.

I have no sympathy for these students though. They knew they were breaking the rules and have to deal with the consequences. Guns, even fake ones, are so not a good idea anywhere near schools these days.

What I meant was that in the absence of action by the school to ban you from graduation, you get to go- as opposed to a specifically granted privileged, where you have to be specifically told "you can go"

also, strictly speaking there isn't a specific grade required to attend the ceremony as such- it's more that- with a couple of exceptions- you have to have got your diploma to attend the ceremony. (the exceptions are where the school has decided to permit you to attend the ceremony anyway)

At my high school, the ceremony took place BEFORE the final exams that counted for 50% of the grade in each course. NOBODY had their diploma before the ceremony.

I didn't look at graduation and the other associated events as privileges but a bother and later as punishment. I didn't want to attend and when asked about what I was going to do in ways of participating I told both the principle, vice principle and guidance counselor nothing as I didn't intend to participate at all. They ratted me out to my Mom who made me attend, but as I only walked across the stage to get a rolled up piece of paper, participation was at a minimum. At the time getting my diploma really didn't matter as I had already been drafted to the Army and then the odds of going to RVN was high. I grew up in a military family and I knew what to expect so I had already given myself up for dead.
Anyways many years later when it came to college graduation I didn't care for all the BS so I declined and when my Mom and wife said something about it, I told them to mind their own business as I had worked and paid my own way and no one else had any say so. Thinking on that I guess it was some what of rebellion.
30+ years after graduation my middle son stated that he didn't care to participate in graduation. I think I understood his reasons but his mother certainly didn't nor did his teachers and administrators, so basically between his mother and others he was bullied into graduation. Now my other children willingly participated especially my daughters. For my youngest son it remains to be seen how graduation will go for him (he's 8) but he's fairly social with his friends and classmates.
All that being said I don't think those kids were harshly punished with what they did they could have gone to jail and later prison. Perhaps their parents should light up their hind-ends.

For people not of a certain generation AND from the U.S., I believe Tanas finished high school in the late '60s/early '70s. RVN is the (R)epublic of (V)iet(n)am.

Is it bad that I knew what was meant even though I'm not of that generation or from the US? (Aussie and born in '84.) Or does it just mean that I know my history?

You are correct, I was drafted in December 1970 and graduated June 1971, inducted to the US Army July 1971, arrived RVN Jan 1972, wounded the first time March 1972 and blown-up July 1972 and returned state-side October 1972. Finally retired from TANG Sept 1996. I got out early in life to see the world and get shot-at-then-hit, on a side note I still jingle when I walk from all the steel bits in my face, shoulder and back. Metal detectors at the court-house and air-port hate me.

Back to our OG topic, what's the deal with all these graduations from kindergarden, primary and middle schools??? Luckily my kids attended the same school their whole academic life from K-12 and there was only one graduation at 12.

I've never been down-under but I think your ANZAC days and better public education make a big difference. Here Nov 11 is Veterans Day. Most places have parades but very little about the Viet Nam War is taught in school these days except about the anti-wars protesters.
My Dad spent some time in your AO during WWII and later Korea. While I was in RVN he was off the coast in command of a destroyer. He fought with some of your warriors in New Guinea, he brought back some very interesting pictures from down there.

First, thank you for your service.

Second, I agree with you here. I'm younger than you (will turn 41 this year), and when I was in school, we had one graduation -- high school.

But yeah, it seems like they have all sorts of graduations now. I know they have kindergarten and elementary school graduations. There's like 4 or 5 now. It's ridiculous.

When I was in school, the would just basically tell us, "Congratulations. You get to go to the next grade."

To be honest, while I do know why they do it (the graduations are to mark "graduating" from one school to the next) I actually agree. Graduation from High School exists because it's a) the end of education for about 35% of them and b) in a sense, it's to mark the transition inot adulthood. changing schools isn't really as important.