Twelfth graders protest school’s decision to cancel their graduation ceremony

Jordan

Published: 2018-05-28 11:34

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 23:16


The students’ parents recently received a letter from the school formally informing them of the cancellation. (Facebook)
The students’ parents recently received a letter from the school formally informing them of the cancellation. (Facebook)

In March, a well-known private school in Amman cancelled its year 12 graduation ceremony, as punishment for the students who graffitied the walls surrounding its schoolyard.

The students’ parents recently received a letter from the school formally informing them of the cancellation.

“We regret to inform you that we have decided not to hold a graduation ceremony for year 12 this year. This is the result of their actions on Wednesday, 28 February, which also resulted in each of them receiving a ‘final warning.’”

On Sunday morning, a group of students from the same year and their parents held a stand in front of the school gates to protest against the decision to cancel the ceremony.

During the protest, parents held up placards which read: “You’re not their second home like you claimed you were,” “You’ve hurt and humiliated our children… you’ve ended their journey with humiliation, hatred and emotional pain,” “uneducational” and “Unjust.”

The parents urged the school not to take away the students’ biggest and most important day, as “this is the day they get to wear their graduation robes; they’ve been waiting for this day their entire lives.”

A video of the twelfth graders graffiting the walls of their schoolyard in celebration of ending their time at school went viral on social media in February.

At the time, despite what some have described as “reckless behaviour,” many of the school’s staff and former students came to its defence on Facebook.

One staff member said that they “proudly” work for the school, describing it as “one of the most respectful, elite, well- disciplined schools.”

Another person passionately warned that “no one is allowed to abuse and offense this school’s reputation," adding that "the school has every right to discipline its students for their actions.”

Someone pointed out that “this happens every year in private and state schools.”