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A US kindergarten’s graduation rule allowing only one clap per child to maintain uniformity has sparked online uproar. A video went viral, amassing over 50 lakh views
In the video, children can be seen walking up one by one to receive their certificates. (Source: YouTube/ArS)
A kindergarten graduation ceremony in the United States has stirred up a storm online, not because of a touching moment or an impressive performance, but due to an unusual rule: parents were instructed to clap only once for each child. No cheers, no applause, no celebration beyond a single clap.
The strange regulation, reportedly implemented by the school to maintain uniformity and sensitivity, left many parents bewildered and disappointed. A video of the event, posted by a mother named Angelica Pueblas, has since gone viral, amassing over 50 lakh views and sparking an avalanche of online reactions.
In the video, children can be seen walking up one by one to receive their certificates. But instead of the usual loud cheers, the room echoes with just one synchronised clap per child – mechanical, restrained, and eerily devoid of excitement.
“This has to be the most joyless celebration I’ve ever seen,” one social media user commented, while another joked, “What’s next – taxing emotions?” Another quipped, “Was there a clapping quota? Only 17 kids, and still rationing applause?”
Watch the viral video:
Yet behind the mockery, the school defended its so-called “one-clap policy” with a deeper rationale. According to some educators and parents, the rule is intended to be inclusive – especially for children whose family members may not be present in the audience. The concern is that prolonged applause for some and silence for others could create feelings of exclusion or hurt in young minds.
Angelica, the mother who posted the video, acknowledged this perspective in her post. “I was proud, but also a bit confused. As a mother, all you want is to celebrate every milestone. But we were told to just clap once. That’s it,” she said. Maybe there’s a thoughtful intention behind it, but it felt robotic and unnatural, she added.
While the debate rages online, the incident has opened up a wider conversation around how far schools should go to ensure equality, and whether emotional expression, even in the form of applause, should be regulated in the name of fairness.
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