The implementation of ceremonies and graduations for kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school students in Indonesia has begun to be banned because it burdens parents of students.
In the past, we only knew graduations were held for students who had completed their undergraduate education and so on. In recent years, graduations have been held for PAUD, kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school graduates with various policies that accompany them, in accordance with the traditions of each school.
And the graduation celebrations also flowed with various existing problems. Starting from complaints from parents because the costs were relatively high, not being able to attend graduation because there were no funds, to students whose diplomas were withheld because they had not paid the graduation fees.
Costs are not the only problem. Problems also arise from the implementation of graduation events that are not relevant to students. For example, the graduation procession for early childhood or kindergarten students who do not understand the implementation of graduation.
The graduation procession that requires children to wear traditional clothes can sometimes be troublesome. Not all cities have traditional clothing rental places and are complete. Even if there are, when several schools hold graduations close together, there is no stock of clothes that can be rented.
The Aceh Education Office has issued a letter numbered 400.3.8/5345 dated April 16, 2025. In essence, schools are asked not to hold ceremonial activities for the release of students and graduations that are mandatory and burdensome for parents.
So, the problem here is that there are two things, namely mandatory ceremonies and student graduation activities. These two things are different in form, but both are considered burdensome for parents of students.
If asked to every parent of a student, the answers will definitely vary. Some agree on the grounds that it is an important moment or not burdensome. However, there are those who flatly reject it, such as the implementation of graduation at a private kindergarten in Lhokseumawe City which forced parents to rent graduation clothes and pay for the implementation of the graduation, including building rental and consumption.
However, there are also schools that have a tradition of holding graduation ceremonies with minimal costs for parents. Graduation is held at school with school uniforms that are charged as cheaply as possible. Parents are also burdened with costs for documentation and consumption, but at affordable costs.
From the activities held, on the one hand, it does hone the creativity of students. Farewells are sometimes an arena for expressing students' artistic abilities. However, when it becomes a mandatory activity and the school charges students, that's when it falls into the category of burdening parents.
In essence, schools should not burden parents of students and should not take advantage of the momentum of farewell or graduation celebrations to seek additional profit.[]
