What is all of the fuss lately about the excesses of 8th grade graduation? In 1975, I graduated 8th grade. We were required to wear a suit and tie (a dress for a girl) and were brought to the ceremony by our parents.
I attended my son’s 8th grade graduation last year and was surprised at how informal the kids dressed for the occasion. Most of the students wore polo shirts and shorts and the girls wore light dresses or sundresses.
At my nephew’s graduation last week, all of the kids were dressed to the nines. The boys all wore shirts and ties and the girls wore dresses (some formal; although I saw no limos).
If today’s parents wish to hire limos and dress their kids to the nines, I don’t see what the problem is. This is their way of celebrating their children’s entrance into high school.
Schools should not ban 8th grade graduation ceremonies. Let the parents and the kids have fun. It’s a rite of passage that should not be eliminated–it should be celebrated.
When it becomes a requirement to lease a limo or to wear a tux to 8th grade graduation, that’s when we have a problem.
