The dynamism of society throws up fresh perspectives and trends in the socio-political, economic, and social lives of the people. As is often said in some quarters, ‘behavioural patterns define the times.
In today’s Nigeria, there is a ‘pandemic’ that is spreading even faster than the harmattan fire: it is simply called ‘Graduation Day’. And, wait for this: it is neither a tertiary institution, nor high school graduation – it is one associated with kindergarten/nursery/primary school.
Surprise? By all means, this development begs the question of where our society is headed, considering the unhealthy competition and pressure, which the ‘craze’ brings to bear on families, many of which are struggling to stay sane.
There are two ready casualties of this emerging trend – society, and morality -both being at the receiving end of every disruptive tendency. Clearly, this is the challenge that accompanies the ‘Graduation Day’.
Children – many of whom are below the age of 10, are adorned in attires that befriend opulence, with consciousness that speaks to competition – nothing more.
In the end, excellence is sacrificed on the altar of ‘vainglory’, leaving exceptionally-brilliant and morally-upright children who, for no fault of theirs, were not Born with a silver spoon, withdrawn and unsure of themselves.
Again, this aberration fertilises the culture of materialism and ostentation. The immediate consequence, which its promoters may not know, is the fact that it makes them vulnerable to attacks by criminal elements.
Interestingly, the trend has elicited reactions from concerned, well-meaning Nigerians, including the clergy. While some called on school authorities to discourage it, and stick to moderation in extracurricular activities, others warned parents against raising potential threats to society and basic standards of living.
In his intervention entitled, “The New Disease Called Graduation Ceremony”, Rev. Fr (Dr) Amos, has this to say: “Every year, a familiar fever grips our society. From nursery to primary and secondary schools, the air is thick with the sound of trumpets, clinking glasses, and endless boasts: “My child is graduating!”
“And with this obsession comes a new wave of social competition. Parents, in a desperate race for validation, turn their children into mannequins for borrowed glories—fake eyelashes on five-year-olds, artificial nails on primary school girls, elaborate braided hairstyles, and expensive rented suits for little boys who barely know how to tie their shoelaces. Then comes the mandatory canopy, the mountain of cakes, the hired photographers, and the inevitable social media parade. It is no longer about education; it is about display.
“But beyond the colorful façade lies a darker, corrosive truth. Some parents, eager for recognition, lobby teachers and school administrators to secure meaningless awards for their children. And the schools—always looking for ways to monetize parents’ vanity—create a bizarre menu of awards with no intellectual value, dishing them out to the highest bidders. A teacher commenting in a Nigerian educators’ forum lamented:
“And then comes the most tragic irony. What becomes of the child whose parents organized a lavish statewide graduation ceremony after his final SSCE exams, only for him to fail critical papers in WAEC or NECO? Here lies the cruel aftermath. Some children slide quietly into depression, humiliated by the gap between the hype and the truth Others, unable to bear the shame, contemplate suicide. Parents, meanwhile, resort to desperate cover-ups—hiding the failure by transferring the child to a distant school or bribing officials to “fix” results. In all this, the soul of education bleeds.
“Yet we must remind ourselves of a simple truth: passing and failing are both legitimate outcomes of examinations. To criminalize failure or pretend it does not exist is to set our children up for a lifetime of dishonesty and shallow achievements. A society that cannot accommodate failure cannot nurture resilience.
“We must urgently rethink this madness. Schools should refocus on quality learning rather than frivolous ceremonies. Parents must choose substance over showmanship. Regulators must step in to standardize graduation practices so they align with genuine academic achievement.
“Until we do, we will continue producing children who are dressed for success but unprepared for life. And as a nation, we will keep celebrating shadows while the true essence of education dies in silence,” he said.
A Businesswoman, Mrs Lucia Abdul expressed sadness saying, “It is really annoying to say the least. You see a child who is in nursery school graduating. Graduating from what to what please? Just recently, I had to confront my child’s proprietor over this same graduation nonsense. Yes, I call it nonsense because tell me why you are doing a graduation party for a child in a preschool? What do they know?
And then the school will ask parents to pay for graduation parties, souvenir photography and all, after the paying school fees. I think the schools, especially private schools are using this graduation ceremony to extort parents and it’s really bad.
A civil servant Mrs. Joyce Adams said,” hmmm! Just the other day I watched a video where a woman complained about a school giving the ” Tallest girls” award during their graduation ceremony. Like what does that even mean? The educational system we have now is something else. Something needs to be done about it.
“I remember during our days in the 90’s, what we had was speech and prize giving day purely for those who excelled in various subjects. And then, neatness boy/girl and best-behaved students. Not tallest, finest and all what not. The school takes care of everything including refreshments for parents and other invited guests not asking parents to pay for graduation ceremonies.
School owners can do better than all of these distractions… The school is meant for learning not for all these needless inventions by proprietors/ proprietresses. At the end of the day, they are all looking for ways to get more money from parents.
Ms. Ibukun Lloyds praised school management who organise graduation parties/ceremonies.
“I commend schools who celebrate their students/pupils. It helps in confidence building for the children. I don’t see why any parent should frown at such. If as a parent you don’t have money to pay for your ward/ child why not quietly remove your child from such schools after all, public schools don’t do such.
“It is a very laudable development and I am in full support. You don’t have to make learning boring for children. Children enjoy learning when they have other interesting activities in-between like graduation ceremony, excursion, cultural day, inter-house sports competitions among others.
“Last year I had to remove my child from the school their father enrolled them in because the school didn’t have enough extra activities like graduation, excursion and all. The school was too “serious” for my liking. Children need to look forward to going to school, not dread school.
Entrepreneur Alexander Obinze appealed to the federal government to intervene by banning schools organising graduation ceremonies.
“If schools feel they need to host such events, they shouldn’t task parents, they should take care of all the expenses. Most parents are really struggling to pay school fees and other expenses so this shouldn’t be added.
“Are we not all in Nigeria? Things are tight and then you want to dump this one too on parents? It’s really unfair. Most school management are just putting parents under pressure because how will your child feel if you don’t pay for the graduation party and every other child has paid?
“Alternatively, if all parents can come together and say no to “unnecessary” school graduation ceremonies I think it will go a long way. The schools will be left with no other option than to stop it,” he advised.
