July 20, 2005, 09:21
BobHaleMore PC nonsense
Today's papers report that a proposal has been tabled for the forthcoming annual conference of the Professional Association of Teachers which strikes me as batty even by modern standards.
They want the word, and concept, of failure to be removed from schools and replaced with the phrase "deferred success". All failed exams will become "deferred passes".
Quite apart from the ridiculous idea that anyone benefits from this rubbish a "failure" is not the same thing as a "deferred pass". The latter indicates that a pass in the future is a certainty and may be awarded with no further effort.
July 20, 2005, 14:28
Richard EnglishIf there are no failures, then how do you measure success?
July 20, 2005, 14:35
BobHaleYou don't. Everyone's a winner. Great theory, isn't it?
July 20, 2005, 15:18
KallehIt sounds very American to me. I can't think of any examples right now (anyone?), but there are a lot. I think it is insulting because it assumes people are so stupid that they don't realize it really means "failure."
July 20, 2005, 19:26
shufitzquote:
Richard English: If there are no failures, then how do you measure success?
"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" (Robert Browning)