Abdulghani Al-Qash
THE universities show off graduation processions to the media; male and female students don graduation regalia and walk before the chief guest to give the impression that they have graduated.
But the reality is different. The ceremony is held about two months before the end of the academic year. Some universities hold the graduation ceremony in early May, meaning all those students have not actually graduated yet. They are almost in the middle of the semester.
What is stranger is that some of them will not graduate at the end of the year in which they were in the ceremony. They will have to take a summer semester in order to graduate.
The scene happens openly, every year while everyone remains complacent. It forced me to call an official and I was surprised that he fully agreed with me.
He demanded that the graduation ceremony be held at the beginning of every year, but his opinion was not accepted. Some said that not all of the students would attend the ceremony. The official argued that this was better as the students are in their thousands and the presence of all the students would cause confusion, disorganization and embarrassment.
It is noteworthy that the women’s section at some universities holds their graduation ceremonies over several days because of the large number of graduates.
What is even stranger is that each student holds a folder to give the impression that they are receiving their graduation degree: blatant acting. The reality is that they just want to give an impression that they are holding their degrees. They are practicing an open lie, clear to all.
In my opinion, this is a good opportunity for the new Minister of Education Dr. Ahmed Bin Muhammad Al-Isa to put a stop to this drama.
It should be such that only those who have actually graduated and have really obtained their degrees should be feted. This should be the case, even if the graduation ceremony is delayed a little.
What is important is that he or she should be a real graduate. This is followed in the majority of universities around the world. Donning the graduation gown is not an act in and of itself. The most important scene in the ceremony is the student being handed his graduation degree.
What attracted my attention is that these dramas are existent in the general education schools as well, whether government or private. They hold these graduation days before the final examinations.
The results are announced two days or more at the latest after the completion of the examinations, which nullifies the argument for making haste. Why can’t the ceremonies be held immediately after announcing the results? Each student would be accorded the honor they deserve according to their marks and grades.
From the observations, these ceremonies have become fictions, and the activities held during the ceremonies are purely formal. The reality totally differs from this. The ministry is concerned with credibility and I don’t believe that such formalities mean anything to it.
The ministry should issue a detailed and precise regulation for graduation ceremonies, with regard to time, cost, place and what is presented during the ceremony.
Some of these ceremonies are very costly and the manifestations of extravagance can be discerned. What is more important is the reality. The students should not be feted unless they actually graduate, not merely on the verge of graduation.
Until recently, they used to mention that those being honored are students expected to graduate. But it appears that this has waned. The process has turned into an outright lie. During these days they are considered to be graduates. They don the graduation gowns and carry fake degrees. We see them walking in the graduation processions, but actually they are just performing. They are practicing camouflaging.
Can we hope for a precise and firm ministerial regulation that will stop these dramas and get rid of the trivialities in graduation ceremonies?
