IN THE United States, finishing high school is a coming-of-age rite of its own, with school leavers receiving their high school diploma scrolls at mini-graduation ceremonies where speeches are made, gowns and caps are worn and portraits are taken to fully commemorate the event.
While end of school procedures here in Malaysia may not be quite as ceremonious, the feeling is essentially the same: being a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidate marks the close of one chapter in your life and the start of another.
