And the award goes to...

This past week I had the privilege to attend the 10th anniversary of the school that I work for. Let me be clear, this wasnt even the anniversary for the entire school, only for the lyceum. Now, in the States, a 10th anniversary isnt a big deal, but here... oh, I dont think I can paint a fair picture! We have a team here also, so I took four of the team members along with me. They wanted a cultural experience. Haha, they got what they asked for! Okay, lets see if I can do it justice.
First, the building. the rented out Congress Hall, which if in America the equivalent might be the MET in New York city or the Ford theater in Washington. I have no idea how much this thing cost, but it couldnt have been cheap. Each student in the lyceum (the private school part of the public school) was required to attend and they had to buy a brand new outfit to participate. The outfit was simple white collared shirt for both guys and girls, and black pants or skirt. The girls dressed up their outfits a bit; they added white bow like things to their hair, although when they were added you could hardly see their faces!
Okay, to the ceremony. We took seats in the massive hall and began to watch a light show that took place on the curtains. They started late, of course (it wouldnt be KZ unless they did); with a song and dance number that the whole school was involved in. It really was incredible, and we thought at that moment we were in for a treat. But it was just a tease; for the next hour and a half the principal (or direction as he is called) passed out awards to every teacher who has even walked in the school doors. People got awards for everything , from being a good teacher to having a great haircut. And did we see the kids again... NO! That was the entire reason we were there, to watch the kids.
After 2 hrs of "Awards" with seemingly no relief in sight, I found one of my students and asked how long this was supposed to last. She smiled and said that at the earliest, it might be over at 7. Lets remember, it started at 4. I smiled politely at her and then my guests and I staggered our exits and hit the door running!
I got to thinking though, if we would have been in America, this would have been so much different. The program would have been all about the kids, with little or no recognition given to the teachers. The kids would have been dressed up, but most would not have put much care into what they wore. I love the focus that we as Americans put on our children, but the people here might have something, truly honoring their elders and those who teach. The students from the school sat patiently during this entire thing; I must admit, we were the ones that couldnt sit quietly.
I'm not sure that either way is 100% right or wrong, but I think that combining the two would bode very well, not just for school assemblies, but for the value systems that we are trying to instill and hold on to. Children are a gift from God, but the wise also hold sweet status with our Father... thoughts?