Though schools in Taiwan remain open, lingering concerns about COVID-19 have many of them wondering what to do about graduation ceremonies. One school on the southern tip of Taiwan has come up with a uniquely aquatic solution.
The students of Kenting Elementary School grow up in paradise. Their home lies within Kenting National Park, on Taiwan’s tropical southern sea coast, and the clear coral seas just beyond are their playground.
Each student must learn to snorkel and dive before they graduate. And so, when the school started thinking about where to hold its graduation ceremony in a time of social distancing, the obvious answer was five meters beneath the waves.
Normally, the school’s principal says, school-sponsored diving classes won’t take students out into depths greater than two meters. But with the help of instructors, five meters proved no real difficulty for these experienced kids.
In these coastal waters, there are no crowds and no worries about COVID-19—just coral and schools of fish. With waterproof graduation certificates, the students could enjoy a feeling of accomplishment with friends while celebrating the unique place they call home.