Graduating in the U.S. is a HUGE deal. It’s such a big deal that kids now have a graduation celebration in kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school and for most at the end of college. That’s 5 graduations before a quarter of a person’s life span! Caps, gowns, the whole shebang! Parties follow-up the long ceremonial speeches of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian. It’s the pivotal event in a senior’s life. It’s a BIG deal, regardless if the seniors are heading off for college, taking a year off, or planning to work at the garage shop down the street fixing cars.
My graduation with my sister Lili
Thailand- not so much.
Graduating takes place on a regular school day as an extension of the morning announcements. Kids wear their school uniforms, and only those accepted into a college are allowed to stand next to the banner of the school they were accepted to. No parents, no siblings, no grandmas and pas to join in the celebration, or lack there of. The only similarity to an American graduation is that the process is just as long. The ceremony ran into the first two periods of the day.
The highlight and the best part for the graduates is when the underclassmen shower them with bouquets of flowers and gifts. It’s very sweet to see the younger students celebrate those heading off to college. The teachers sit along the side and Mattayom 6 (the graduates) walk down wai-ing their teachers, a thank you for their education. That is graduation in Thailand. Then business as usual i.e. back to classes, but not for M6! They are finished!
Pear, below, the only M6 student I know who speaks great English and is attending Chiang Mai University!
Tomorrow is my last day of teaching. Next week is final exams where I will proctor. Then the semester is over, and kids have a long break before the start of the new school year at the end of May. The M6′s head off to university in June, and since teachers are not allowed to fail students every child moves up a Mattayom. Congratulations Graduates!
An impressive share, I just with all this onto a colleague who was simply doing a little analysis about this. And he in fact bought me breakfast because I recently found it for him or her.. smile. So well then, i’ll reword that: Thnx for any treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending plenty of time to discuss that, I feel strongly about it and love reading more on this topic. If possible, as you become expertise, would you mind updating your site with more facts? It is highly helpful for me. Big thumb up for this purpose blog post!
I comment whenever I appreciate a article on a website or if I have something to add to the conversation. Usually it is triggered by the sincerness displayed in the article I read. And on this post Fit MissTisa » Congrats Grads!. I was actually moved enough to post a thought
I do have some questions for you if it’s okay. Could it be only me or does it give the impression like some of the remarks appear like they are written by brain dead individuals? 
And, if you are posting at additional online social sites, I’d like to keep up with you. Could you make a list all of all your community sites like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
thanks for share!