Apr 1, 2015 11:24
10 yrs ago
67 viewers *
English term
finish or graduate from (secondary school)
English
Other
Education / Pedagogy
School Report
My question is about using "graduate" for a secondary school-leavers.
At the end of the school year pupils receive certificates with their marks and other information, which are signed by their form master.
The summarising part of this document presents the decision taken by the Teachers Board to the effect that the pupil
a. is transferred to the next form (grade) or
b) leaves the school or
c) stays in this form for a second year.
So is it possible to use "graduate" in b) as an alternative to 'finish" or "leave".
All my dictionaries are unanimous that it isn't because "graduation" applies to higher education establishments. Some my colleagues, however, have another point of view.
The whole section would go like this:
Teachers Board decision: the pupil is to be transferred to the next grade, is to leave (or graduate from) the school, is to be awarded with Certificate of Achievement (commendation), is to be left for the re-course, etc.
Please note that we are talking about secondary school here.
Thank you in advance.
At the end of the school year pupils receive certificates with their marks and other information, which are signed by their form master.
The summarising part of this document presents the decision taken by the Teachers Board to the effect that the pupil
a. is transferred to the next form (grade) or
b) leaves the school or
c) stays in this form for a second year.
So is it possible to use "graduate" in b) as an alternative to 'finish" or "leave".
All my dictionaries are unanimous that it isn't because "graduation" applies to higher education establishments. Some my colleagues, however, have another point of view.
The whole section would go like this:
Teachers Board decision: the pupil is to be transferred to the next grade, is to leave (or graduate from) the school, is to be awarded with Certificate of Achievement (commendation), is to be left for the re-course, etc.
Please note that we are talking about secondary school here.
Thank you in advance.
Responses
| 4 +9 | No: leave; not finish, not graduate |
Charles Davis
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| 3 | leave or graduate |
magdadh
|
Responses
+9
20 mins
Charles Davis
Spain
Spain
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Spain
Related KudoZ points
:
48
Selected
No: leave; not finish, not graduate
The use of "graduate" in this is a straightforward American/British English difference. In the US students do graduate from high school, as well as from university; in the UK and Ireland etc. they finish or complete secondary education and only graduate from university.
Your text, by the way, is clearly British (or at least not American): "form master" alone marks it as such.
But that is not what your text is about anyway. Graduate or finish refer to completing the whole sequence of secondary studies (and nearly always, if not always, refer to completing post-secondary education, that is, A-level in British terms). But that's not what's involved in your text. The fact that one of the options is to go on to the next form shows that this is about a decision being taken in the course of secondary education, before it has been completed. So graduating or finishing at this point is not an option.
Option (b) refers to the possibility of the student leaving the school before having completed the full course of study. So neither graduate nor leave would fit here.
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Note added at 23 mins (2015-04-01 11:48:40 GMT)
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If option (b) were implemented, at a point before finishing compulsory education, the student would have to be placed in another institution; he or she couldn't finish and leave education permanently at that point. If it were post-16, leaving the school could mean abandoning his or her education.
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Note added at 28 mins (2015-04-01 11:52:54 GMT)
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To put it simply, this is about what happens if a student passes or fails a year of secondary school study. If they pass, option (a) applies: they go on to the next year (form, grade). If they fail, either they have to leave the school (b) or repeat the year (c).
This is presumably about a private (non-state) school, which can require students who fail a year of study to leave.
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-04-01 12:42:44 GMT)
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Please note that, as Sheila says, I meant to write "ne¡ther graduate nor FINISH would fit here"; "leave" does fit.
Your text, by the way, is clearly British (or at least not American): "form master" alone marks it as such.
But that is not what your text is about anyway. Graduate or finish refer to completing the whole sequence of secondary studies (and nearly always, if not always, refer to completing post-secondary education, that is, A-level in British terms). But that's not what's involved in your text. The fact that one of the options is to go on to the next form shows that this is about a decision being taken in the course of secondary education, before it has been completed. So graduating or finishing at this point is not an option.
Option (b) refers to the possibility of the student leaving the school before having completed the full course of study. So neither graduate nor leave would fit here.
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Note added at 23 mins (2015-04-01 11:48:40 GMT)
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If option (b) were implemented, at a point before finishing compulsory education, the student would have to be placed in another institution; he or she couldn't finish and leave education permanently at that point. If it were post-16, leaving the school could mean abandoning his or her education.
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Note added at 28 mins (2015-04-01 11:52:54 GMT)
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To put it simply, this is about what happens if a student passes or fails a year of secondary school study. If they pass, option (a) applies: they go on to the next year (form, grade). If they fail, either they have to leave the school (b) or repeat the year (c).
This is presumably about a private (non-state) school, which can require students who fail a year of study to leave.
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-04-01 12:42:44 GMT)
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Please note that, as Sheila says, I meant to write "ne¡ther graduate nor FINISH would fit here"; "leave" does fit.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
magdadh
: I agree, if the text IS indeed about the British system, and if the option (b) indeed means leaving before completion. In any context, 'graduation' implies (successful) completion.
3 mins
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That's right. Thanks very much, magdadh!
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| agree |
Sheila Wilson
: "Leave the school" (as opposed to "leave school" which implies the end of school life). NB: (just to avoid confusion) I believe you meant to put "So neither graduate nor finish would fit here" ;)
25 mins
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Yes, thanks Sheila. Encroaching senility, I'm afraid :)
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| agree |
katsy
: exactly!
27 mins
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Thanks katsy :)
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| agree |
Christine Andersen
29 mins
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Thanks, Christine :)
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| agree |
Alok Tiwari
1 hr
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Thanks, Alok :)
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| agree |
Veronika McLaren
1 hr
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Thanks, Veronika :)
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| agree |
jccantrell
: From the USA, I might suggest 'promoted to the next grade' (or the British equivalent) and we would say 'drop out' for those who leave without finishing. Pretty good explanation.
2 hrs
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Thanks, JC! I think the British expression would be "progress". "Form", by the way, is pretty old-fashioned in the UK these days and sounds a lot like a private school to me.
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| agree |
Peter Simon
2 hrs
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Thanks, Peter!
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| agree |
Marilyn Reasor (X)
: This is totally ideal for Tessa. She doesn't self-teach; however we work with her at home on perusing. The simple guidelines are a lift for her certainty more info related https://www.thecnaschool.com/ gotten the cookbook and the children are restless to
2562 days
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much. "
7 mins
leave or graduate
In the US students certainly seem to 'graduate' from High Schools: cf: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjle45hklm/10-high-paying-job...
And that terms is widely used in English materials referencing secondary school leavers in other countries.
It is NOT commonly used in the UK, where 'graduate' indeed implies completing a course of higher education and a degree.
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Note added at 31 mins (2015-04-01 11:55:57 GMT)
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An (important) note inspired by @Charles Davis 's answer:
'Graduate' implies successful completion. 'Leaving', in the situation in which there is an option of continuation suggests (unless I am reading it wrong) that the full course of secondary education is not completed, and thus, 'graduate' would not be appropriate here.
But if we are talking about let's say Year 2 students moving on to Year 3 vs being kept behind to repeat Year 2, and let's say Year 6 (final) students leaving/graduating vs being kept behind to repeat the year, then 'graduate' is possible UNLESS you are talking about a British system.
And that terms is widely used in English materials referencing secondary school leavers in other countries.
It is NOT commonly used in the UK, where 'graduate' indeed implies completing a course of higher education and a degree.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 31 mins (2015-04-01 11:55:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
An (important) note inspired by @Charles Davis 's answer:
'Graduate' implies successful completion. 'Leaving', in the situation in which there is an option of continuation suggests (unless I am reading it wrong) that the full course of secondary education is not completed, and thus, 'graduate' would not be appropriate here.
But if we are talking about let's say Year 2 students moving on to Year 3 vs being kept behind to repeat Year 2, and let's say Year 6 (final) students leaving/graduating vs being kept behind to repeat the year, then 'graduate' is possible UNLESS you are talking about a British system.
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