graduation tradition

As far as we all know graduation or convocation is a solemn ceremony after finishing study. Those attending the ceremony will be honored to receive their scroll on that day. Nevertheless, some people says it is a very boring occasion. It is too official and involved too much protocol. Some says it is a tradition and culture taken from the west civilization.

I have the opportunity to ask the same question to a scholar. His opinion was the tradition of graduation or convocation to mark the end of the studies, and the agreement between the a guru and his student. The agreement content is the student accepted the knowledge from the guru and then disseminate the knowledge and for the guru to honestly and with open heart agree for the student to accept and disseminate the knowledge.

Nowadays, the tradition of graduation is still practiced in the Malays tradition. Even though some is already forgotten. For example upon finishing the "silat" a traditional Malay martial art the ceremony of "ijazah" or graduation will be conducted. And the same agreement is vowed between the student and the guru.

If we take a look from the history of Andalusia an ancient Muslim empire in Europe (ended 1570) where Spain is located nowadays the tradition of convocation was reportedly practiced. During that era the convocation tradition where students and guru wearing the long robes and turban attending the solemn ceremony was organized commemoratively. But, when the empire was destroyed by the Catholic army in 1570 led by Queen Isabelle the tradition was halted but then was carefully copied by the west with some modifications. The long arab's robe now is shorter and the turban is modified to mortar board. So, the opinion that convocation is a tradition from the west is actually not really right as it is originated from the Arab civilization.