Are preschool graduations taken too far?
Over the last 10 years preschool graduations have become more and more popular in the UK, with tens of thousands of graduation gowns being sold to preschools across the country. The tradition has been a strong theme in the USA for nearly 50 years with an increasing number of UK preschools following suit. Is this event another money making scheme that puts pressure on parents and settings to pay money to hire outfits, have photo shoots and hold parties?
The graduation is held at the preschool prior to the children starting school and usually involves gowns, mortar boards, certificates and a small presentation; some settings will hold a party afterwards for the children and their families. This event enables parents, staff and children to celebrate the child’s successes at nursery and can boost their self esteem and confidence, supporting them to take pride in themselves and their achievements. However graduations have been scrutinised for putting too much pressure on the child to perform. Christmas nativities or concerts have also shown that children who may be shy or overwhelmed in large groups may not benefit from large events such as graduation. It can infact have the opposite affect on these children, causing them a great deal of stress or anxiety being in front of a big crowd with expectations.
Another argument against graduations is the expectancy that children will learn to achieve things without having to try. It has been suggested that for children to gain a graduation after each section of education enables the child to feel they will be rewarded without putting in the effort. However modern pedagogy suggests that children should feel that they make a difference and even small achievements should be recognised in order to condition the child to keep trying and continue learning.
Graduations are often seen as a lovely way to end the child’s time at nursery and say goodbye as the child moves on to the next chapter in their life. Some children may have attended the setting for a number of years, and graduation can enables the child’s parents and key workers to reflect on how much they child has grown and achieved in this time. Many settings have said that everyone involved in the graduation event has thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the children are often excited to celebrate with their parents and friends.
How do you feel about preschool graduations?