It’s graduation season once again, and everyone deserves the right to flaunt their achievements and write long congratulatory messages to themselves, especially after all the sleepless nights and late-night cups of coffee.
However, a user on X (formerly known as Twitter) expressed confusion over the increasing number of students going up on stage with honors. He voiced his concerns on X and wrote:
“It’s graduation season. Pero bakit parang lahat ng mga bata may honor at awards? Sorry hindi naman sa hindi masaya para sa kanila, pero naalala ko lang ang hirap mag-honor dati at pag may honor ka parang nakakabilib talaga. Musta naman yun 2/3 ng class may honor? Tapos kulelat tayo sa PISA? [It’s graduation season. But why does everyone seem to have honors and awards? Sorry, it’s not like I’m not happy for them, but I remembered how hard it was to have honors so when you get awarded, it’s a proud moment. How do we manage to have 2/3 of the class with honors? But we fail in PISA?]”
A user replied to this tweet and said: “Nung panahon ko, gapang at magsusunog ka ng kilay to pass. Iilan lang ang nagiging outstanding students. Kaya talagang honor to go up the stage with the parents para sabitan ka ng medal. Things are so much easier now in the guise of motivation & self esteem [During my time, you need to strive and study hard to pass. Only a few would be deemed as outstanding students. That’s why it’s really an honor to go up stage with the parents so they can hang the medal around your neck. Things are so much easier now in the guise of motivation & self-esteem].”
Many social media users agree with OP’s sentiments, saying they noticed the same thing.
Another user quote-retweeted and said that the increasing number of honors shows progress, saying, “Many are astounded by the high # of honor students. But this is actually progress. In the old system (Top 10), kids compete vs each other. Now, they have to reach a standard. If 20 kids reach that grade, then 20 kids will be honor students. Healthier classrooms. Kinder kids.”
The quote-retweet received approval from another user who used her mom as an example and mentioned that they do quarterly awarding ceremonies which happen to boost the students’ esteem.
The education system has been leaning into designing its curriculum to be more student-centered but every change has its set of pros and cons. While some view it as progress towards a more inclusive and standardized approach, others express concerns about potential dilution of academic achievement. Do you agree with these changes?
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