The classic, laudatory speech that graduation leaders give to colleagues and teachers at the high school graduation ceremony was replaced, in a school in Arad, by a brave and scathing description of the Romanian education system.
Iulia received enthusiastic applause from her colleagues. PHOTO: Video capture
The head of graduation from Mihai Viteazu high school in Ineu, Arad county, Iulia Coțuba, received enthusiastic applause from her colleagues, but also some puzzled looks from the teachers, after delivering her speech at the graduation ceremony.
“I want to share with you a different perspective on the high school years. It may not be the classic thank-you-and-celebrate speech, but it's an honest one and truly reflects my experiences. I've spent years studying for grades and academic validation and only now realize how much time I've wasted. I only acquired knowledge, not values, because that's what school is, unfortunately”Iulia began.
The Head of Promotion continued to present the negative aspects of the 4 year high school experience.
“Instead of being a place of learning and development, school has become a source of frustration and disappointment for many of us. We often felt unable to express our point of view, to think differently or to be authentic. What did school teach me? Conform, lie, sponge off my personality and hide behind absurd standards“, Iulia also specified.
“I will not thank the system that let me down”
The graduate criticized the fact that students do not learn values, ethics, morals in school, instead they are taught superficiality and hypocrisy.
“School has become a place where our achievements are attributed to the merits of the institution and the teachers, and failures are blamed on us. We had a system that taught us to be superficial and hypocritical rather than to develop ethically and morally.
Today, in front of you, I reaffirm my desire to be authentic and to fight for the values I believe in. I know this speech is disturbing, but I hope it will also be a step through awareness of some issues that have been pushed under the rug for so long“, added Iulia.
The graduate did not thank the system, but thanked the dedicated teachers who got involved and were always with the students.
“In closing, I want to convey a clear message: school should be a support, not an obstacle. I will not praise the system that disappointed me, but I want to celebrate those teachers who gave a piece of themselves every time they sat in the chair and who were always there for us. For better or worse, high school brought us together because we had a common goal: to graduate. And look I did it. Good luck!”, Iulia concluded.
“Painful, Delightful”
The post quickly went viral on social media.
“A day is coming…a generation is coming! Mihai Viteazul High School, Ineu, Arad county. Head of promotion and an atypical speech“, commented Ioana.
“This morning, I looked into the crystal ball and I predict about this girl's graduation speech that it will be the viral of the week (but it should be much more) in Romania. Painful, delightful“, said a professor from UBB, Dumitru Cornel Vâlcu.
“Let me stop hearing you laugh at this thoughtful generation. Congratulations, girl, whoever you are!” – the blogger Radu Valentin Băzăvan also commented.
“The situation in which Romanian education has reached! Today's brave speech of the promotion head from Mihai Viteazu high school in Ineu, Arad county! Respect!”, said Sorin Constantinescu.
