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I always thought that ‘proms’, the non-musical sort I mean, were the end-of-term dances held by American high school students.
I was used to seeing the students in California clothed in their best or hired attire and often riding to their celebration dances in the stretched limos that our American cousins are so fond of. So I was not surprised when the idea of end-of-school proms as well as stretched limos spread to this country. The proms mark in celebratory fashion the transition from school to university or to work and, possibly, the move to adulthood. And why not celebrate in this way? I am enthusiastically all for it.
But it was a bit of a surprise to learn the other day that the idea of proms has spread to children to mark their move from primary to secondary schools. I feel this is more than a little over the top.
My surprise was heightened when I read that parents are trying to outdo each other by providing the fanciest or outlandish way of getting their little darlings to their celebrations. Indeed, East Renfrewshire Council has recently said ‘No!’ to one parent’s request to transport their 11-year-old child to the school prom in a helicopter. Dismissing the request on grounds of health and safety and the effort involved in providing a safe landing space, a council official added that it had ‘no educational benefits’. They got that right!
Another person who spoke sensibly was the spokesman for One Parent Families Scotland who pointed out that end-of-term parties put pressure on parents who may not have the resources for their children to emulate those whose parents are better off.
High or secondary school parties seem a great idea to me. But end-of-term parties for pampered eleven-year-olds? Definitely, not!
.
I always thought that ‘proms’, the non-musical sort I mean, were the end-of-term dances held by American high school students.
I was used to seeing the students in California clothed in their best or hired attire and often riding to their celebration dances in the stretched limos that our American cousins are so fond of. So I was not surprised when the idea of end-of-school proms as well as stretched limos spread to this country. The proms mark in celebratory fashion the transition from school to university or to work and, possibly, the move to adulthood. And why not celebrate in this way? I am enthusiastically all for it.
But it was a bit of a surprise to learn the other day that the idea of proms has spread to children to mark their move from primary to secondary schools. I feel this is more than a little over the top.
My surprise was heightened when I read that parents are trying to outdo each other by providing the fanciest or outlandish way of getting their little darlings to their celebrations. Indeed, East Renfrewshire Council has recently said ‘No!’ to one parent’s request to transport their 11-year-old child to the school prom in a helicopter. Dismissing the request on grounds of health and safety and the effort involved in providing a safe landing space, a council official added that it had ‘no educational benefits’. They got that right!
Another person who spoke sensibly was the spokesman for One Parent Families Scotland who pointed out that end-of-term parties put pressure on parents who may not have the resources for their children to emulate those whose parents are better off.
High or secondary school parties seem a great idea to me. But end-of-term parties for pampered eleven-year-olds? Definitely, not!
.
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