This part of our project is dedicated to the end of high school studies. Parents and older siblings of our students helped a lot. They dug through family archives, searched their online social networks, and provide us with photos as well as short videos from their youth. In the Czech Republic there is a saying “The end of high school is the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood” Have a look what our younger students discovered.

dasa.pdf

martina.pdf

There usually is a prom that takes place in January or February in the final year of highs school studies. Everyone gets dressed up. Girls and boys look beautiful and somehow more mature. There is a ceremony with sashes and a toast. Students are allowed to drink alcoholic beverages at the age 18 in the Czech Republic, but if they are younger at their prom nobody really cares that much. Students take care of the programme of the event. They prepare short scenes, dances or invite professional artists to make the evening ore interesting and memorable. Students also gather money from friend and relatives by spreading a huge piece of cloth (old parachute) on the dancing floor. People can throw money there. If they miss the parachute, there is always someone with a broom. Do you know how expensive it is to organise a ball?

We also found some “tablo”. It is a sort of special notice board with photos of all students and teacher from the class that is placed in a shop window in the middle of the town for everyone to see. It is decorated with attributes of the school. For example there can be a skeleton in nurse’s uniform for nurse classes.

The “last ringing” is an event that takes place in May. Students get dresses in a crazy/funny fashion. They walk and dance through the streets if the town. People can give them money if they wont to. The money goes to the refreshment during the final exams as well as to the organisers of the private party after final exams.

The final exams are the last “torture” students have to endure. They get a week free to prepare themselves and they “pray” for them to draw the “right” questions during the exams. Every generation argues that their exams were more difficult than the current ones. Do you agree?

The school organises a ceremony for students and their parents to give then their certificates. Back then it used to be more civil. Students did not wear gowns and caps. Nowadays they sometimes do. There is always one student who prepares a speech.

And then ... Hurray! We are adults! We can continue our studies, or we can find a job and be finally independent. There is just a last private party waiting for us. We do not have to be diplomatic anymore so we invite our favourite teachers only.