Seeing off your students at graduation

What to expect

Graduation from junior and senior high school is a big deal for families and educators alike and takes considerable preparation. In the days leading up to the big event, a student council or grade representative may make a formal speech to their teachers. Our graduating class rep spoke in the morning staff meeting on the school day preceding the ceremony. This highlight of the school year breaches the barrier between childhood and adult life as the rep takes a leadership role.

On the big day, teachers come in early to get ready. You’ll see teachers made up immaculately in formal dress. Men teachers wear black suits, dress shirts, and white ties. Women teachers tend to wear formal black suits with discrete accessories, namely pearl jewelry and corsages. Some female teachers opt to dress in 袴 hakama, traditional divided pants derived from Taisho era style. This is the heritage of Shimoda Utako, an educator and poet of the Meiji and Taisho eras who instituted easy-to-wear hakama adapted from court dress for teachers and students.

Graduation is considered a ceremonial event in the school year, so you’ll see the Japanese national flag displayed prominently, and all in attendance will stand to sing “Kimigayo”, the national anthem. The ceremony will usually commence with homeroom teachers conducting a roll call of members of each class, speeches by school administrators and community leaders, and finally, a speech from students. The first is from the current student representative, and the last word is from the representative of the graduating class. This year, our class representative got choked up at the point where he thanked parents and teachers for their support. There were a few tears. We finished with a standing ovation as we saw the students out of the hall for the last time.

My first graduation experience in Japan

At a private high school in Tokyo, after all the staid formality, the senior high graduates made a slow and exuberant farewell. Heads of classes chorally shouted collective and personal expressions of gratitude to teachers and parents. It was a moving and bittersweet end to a long ceremony as they trickled out of the hall.

Remarkable graduation ceremonies

At a few schools I have taught at, some kids were regrettably lost during their school years. One school at which I taught suffered the death of a senior high school member. We had a special retrospective of her life before the formal ceremony so that all students could celebrate their experience with her. At another six-year school, a junior high school first year was killed in an accident. At every school event, his parents attended in his stead with a framed photo of him.

The pandemic situation impacted the graduation at which I teach now, and the exchange students showed their solidarity with their classmates. Though they had to return to their countries as the states of emergency were imposed, they returned to Japan to attend the graduation ceremony with their Japanese peers. Everyone, teachers, fellow students, and parents were moved by their resolve and support.

Have you attended a graduation ceremony as a student, parent, or teacher? What are the similarities and differences from grads in your home country?