Graduation ceremonies need to be short and sweet

Now that the results of the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Exam (BSSEE) have been released, schools will now be preparing for their graduation ceremonies.

Whilst the ceremonies provide a platform for the principal and teachers to reward students for their performance in the Common Entrance Exam and to mark the transition from primary to secondary school, the actual graduation day must not be burdensome on students and those in attendance.

I say this because I have attended numerous graduation ceremonies over the years as a journalist and I find that some schools really do stretch the ceremonies too long. They then become somewhat unbearable for even the students who are graduating, as well as their parents and relatives, who really just want to celebrate what is a once in a lifetime occasion.

Most of the graduation ceremonies commence late and then drag on forever. Now I understand that you are dealing with numerous children, a host of trophies and prizes and the like, but let me get to the real crux of the matter. Some of the primary schools principals and teachers, as well as guest speakers, seem not to be aware that the human attention span is getting shorter and shorter and as such, they need to curtail their speeches, reports and addresses, to ensure the audience remains focused and can truly enjoy the event.

When we speak of the “human attention span”, it is agreed by psychologists, as well as educators, that this refers to the amount of concentrated time one can give on a task, without becoming distracted. Now it is said that the attention span varies according to age and it stands to reason that older persons should have a longer attention span. As a journalist and a postgraduate student, I think I have mastered the art of improving my attention span. However, as I attend these events, I feel sorry for the attendees who are often seen nodding, propping on their fists or scrolling through their cellphones or simply staring into space. Just how long can any well intentioned person reasonably pay attention, without letting their mind drift?

Research by Dianne Dukette and David Cornish (2009) suggests that adults can only sustain a 20-minute attention span. The researchers go on to note that individuals can choose repeatedly to re-focus and “this ability to renew attention, permits people to pay attention to things that last for more than a few minutes”. Clearly, some guest speakers need to be exposed to this research. Some speakers and even principals seem absolutely clueless about this piece of information and as such, seemingly do not take it into account, when delivering their addresses. Why should a principal’s address or even a guest speaker’s, span 50 to 60 minutes, plus? Who truly remembers all of what was said?

Now while I understand that graduation ceremonies often allow schools to have their time in the spotlight, I really do not think having a four-hour plus ceremony, with the principal having an hour for him or herself, is necessary to celebrate and have a good time. While sharing successes, keep the information relevant and to the point; short and sweet so it is more memorable. Then let the children mingle, take pictures and spend the little time they have left, making memories for a lifetime with their primary school peers and friends, confident in the fact that you have given them a few key tidbits and words of advice they can actually remember, come September, when they enter the doors of their new schools.