British culture viewed through the Potterverse

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 58450

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, artsylynda at a... wrote:
> Ali:
> 
> > I never cease to cringe when posters mention Harry's 
> > graduation; British kids don't graduate from school, so if Harry 
> > graduates from Hogwarts that will be another first!


> 
> I have trouble keeping up with these boards, so I may have missed 
> something somewhere -- if so, please accept my apologies!  But if 
> British students don't "graduate," what happens at the end of their 
> schooling?  ...edited...
> 
> Lynda 


bboy_mn:

There is graduation then again there is graduation which are not
necessarily the same.

There is the graduation ceremony, which people have indicated is a
rare occurance in Britian. This is something that is very common in
the US. Now even pre-school, kindergarden, grade/elementary school,
and Junior High/middle school have graduation ceremonies.

In the other sense of the word, graduation is the SUCCESSFUL
completion of a particular stage of schooling. High School graduation,
or being a high school graduate, means that the school has certified
that you have successfully completed the requirements of high school.
Being a college graduate means that the college you attended has
certified that you have successfully met the requirements for your
area of study. This 'certification' represents your graduation even if
the event is nothing more than a letter coming in the mail indicating so.

So in Britain, if nothing else, your grades or the certification of
your achievements on and successful completion of the GCSE's and the
A-Levels are your graduation. That is, the SUCCESSFUL certified end of
that stage or your education. In that sense, ceremony or no ceremony,
I have to assume the British student do graduate. 

Just a thought.

bboy_mn