Schools, universities conduct graduation ceremonies

Melike Çalkap- ISTANBUL

With the conclusion of the 2022-2023 academic year, graduation ceremonies are now being held at every educational level, from preschool to university, as the average cost of an off-campus graduation ceremony can reach up to 1,000 Turkish Liras ($43) per student.

While in some schools, the request for graduation ceremonies comes from parents who want their children to remember their happy and proud days, other educational institutions celebrate their graduates in traditional ways.

Some even celebrate their graduation with a series of events by spreading the joy of graduation over a week, as the venue for the celebrations varies from school to school.

While some prefer the schoolyard for the ceremony, others opt to rent different places. Parents pay an average of 300 liras for a rented venue.

However, the cost of a graduation ceremony can reach up to 1,000 liras, with the expenses of a hairdresser and clothes for children.

Bahar Yıldırım Primary School in the western province of İzmir chose to hold the ceremony in the schoolyard. School Principal Ozan Erzincan stated that parents were more eager about graduation than the students, saying, “Students’ hair and clothes were fully prepared for graduation.”

“Our ceremony included music, confetti and meals. Our parents provided significant support for our event. Graduation can be celebrated for children at every educational level.”

Hüseyin Taşdemir, the principal of Bakırköy Primary School in Istanbul, stated that their ceremony was completed last week, saying, “Our fourth-grade students threw their caps. We organized our activities in the schoolyard, ensuring that parents’ budgets were not affected.”

Yasin Sakallı, the principal of Sinop İstiklal Primary School, stated that their graduation ceremony lasted not just one day but a whole week, under the name of “festival.”

“Our celebration started with student performances inside the school, followed by joint activities with children and parents. This year, we held our graduation ceremony at a venue on the evening of report card day. It has become a tradition for us. Each parent paid 250 liras for the venue,” he said.