Ban "fail" from British Classrooms

[Markel]

Link (http://reuters.myway.com//article/20050720/2005-07-20T130239Z_01_L1972360_RTRIDST_0_ODD-BRITAIN-FAILURE-DC.html)

The word "fail" should be banned from use in British classrooms and replaced with the phrase "deferred success" to avoid demoralizing pupils, a group of teachers has proposed.

Members of the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) argue that telling pupils they have failed can put them off learning for life.

A spokesman for the group said it wanted to avoid labeling children. "We recognize that children do not necessarily achieve success first time," he said.

"But I recognize that we can't just strike a word from the dictionary," he said.

The PAT said it would debate the proposal at a conference next week.

I brought this up at the dinner table, and my kids mentioned how their teachers are discouraged from using red ink when grading papers, as it implies harshness. (I can remember teachers theatening to return papers "with a blood transfusion" if directions were not properly followed.)


I think they should extend this idea and replace letter grades as follows:
A - highly successful
B - good success
C - success
D - reduced success
E - slight success
F - deferred success

[zenbooty]

Eh, I see both sides. Labelling a kid as "failure" can be demotivational, but "deferred success" is getting a little ridiculous. Its telling the kid that performing miserably is ok.

Whatever happened to the good ol' "Needs improvement" or "not sufficient?"

[mcs328]

How about...
- Not Quite There Yet
- Almost
- Close But Not Close Enough
- What Would Make You Happy And Not File a Lawsuit

[MrGreg]

F is for "Future MacDonalds Crew"

That was the name of my bowling team in college.

[nickel]

let's just keep sheltering kids from disappointment and failure so they won't know how to deal with it at all when they get out in the real world. :|

for cripes sake, if you get an F you've failed. no need to sugar coat it. try harder next time.

[molecularfire]

Am I the only one who likes the new classification? I mean even for the dumb lazy kids, fail is way too easy a word. It's a nice way to judge them but they aren't going to learn anything from being told that they failed that they don't already know. Now, at least with deferred success they are learning two new words... although I actually would prefer the term cranioanal dyslexia.

[Grimm]

Fear of failure motivates students. Take away that fear and you have less motivated students.

"Defered Success" sounds like Newspeak to me. Telling kids that things are the opposite of what they really are is inherantly wrong. How are we supposed to teach kids right and wrong if we start defining failure as a success? "He wasn't lying, he was defering the truth" will be the next catchphrase if we don't nip this in the butt.

How about we call a failure a failure, teach our kids to work harder and deal with it instead?

I am of the opinion that the school district should "defer" the involved teachers paychecks until they realize just how much real harm they are trying to cause.

[Hiro]

Johnny: Teacher, what does "deferred success" mean?
Teacher: It means you failed, Johnny.
Johnny: *cries*
Teacher: Sorry, Johnny.

To be brutally honest, this is bullsh*t. These kids are going to be absolutely clueless when the real world hits them. Once they leave college, they won't understand what "not doing a good job" in the work place will bring you. A quick trip to an alley way.

[zenbooty]

To be brutally honest, this is bullsh*t. These kids are going to be absolutely clueless when the real world hits them. Once they leave college, they won't understand what "not doing a good job" in the work place will bring you. A quick trip to an alley way.That's a very idealistic viewpoint. There are plenty of failures in the real world who manage to hang on to their jobs, and even do quite well for themselves (One need only look to the White House today :D )

[LegendKiller]

I agree, it is BS. Parents need to prepare their kids for the harsh reality of life, you can sink or swim. If you don't teach them to doggy paddle first in middle/high school you cannot expect them to swim an olympic event after they get out in the "real world". Life sucks, you can prepare, fail, suck it up and prepare more, or you can coddle, baby, and create a whimp.

I was indifferent when I was younger, a B was good enough for me, C's in college. Grad school changed, failure was not an option and I came out with a 3.92 with a B+ pissing me off.

Now with the CFA the thought of failing has me so irked that if I do, then I will become a studying maniac shut-in, Howard Hughes long fingernailed freak.

That carrys over to my work. I get stuff in days ahead of time and if one number is off on 1000, I take it hard.

Parents are parents, not best friends. Teachers have a job to do that they are paid for.


That's a very idealistic viewpoint. There are plenty of failures in the real world who manage to hang on to their jobs, and even do quite well for themselves (One need only look to the White House today :D )


Unfortunately that is the case in a small number of circumstances, especially in the higher strata where family and money counts more than personal achievement.

If Bush were to work for my boss he'd have his arse canned in a week and banished to counting a box of basis points the rest of his career.

[Hiro]

That's a very idealistic viewpoint. There are plenty of failures in the real world who manage to hang on to their jobs, and even do quite well for themselves (One need only look to the White House today :D )
And it's sad that in this day and age, baffoons can achieve such positions. If Bush worked for anyone else in the real world (like what LK said), he would be canned real quick.

We have a guy here who does Desktop support. He screws up more things than we can fix, and yet he still has a job. He has a job because he is able to convince the boss, somehow, that everything that goes wrong isn't his fault. And frankly, at this point it's the boss' fault that his crap still gets screwed up because she won't fire him. He can't do about 95% of his job requirements correctly. It's pretty sad really.

[InfiniteNothing]

I've always liked the Californian EGSNU because I spent many years trying to figure out what A stood for and why there was no E. Hey but on the bright side, you think giving it a friendlier name will make teachers more willing to use that grade.

[DarkFury]

I think they should extend this idea and replace letter grades as follows:
A - highly successful
B - good success
C - success
D - reduced success
E - slight success
F - deferred success

Heh... never knew the education system had an "E" grade. :heh:

[mcs328]

Let's not even go as high as Bush. How about the CEO who don't turn a company around and yet get golden parachutes. Or CEO's who intentionally cover up their failures but instead of hurting himseld he puts thousands of people out of work. Their deferred success costs people billions and IMO I think they get away with it or a slap on the wrist except that guy who commited suicide when Enron all went to hell.

[LegendKiller]

Let's not even go as high as Bush. How about the CEO who don't turn a company around and yet get golden parachutes. Or CEO's who intentionally cover up their failures but instead of hurting himseld he puts thousands of people out of work. Their deferred success costs people billions and IMO I think they get away with it or a slap on the wrist except that guy who commited suicide when Enron all went to hell.


Yes, but they were clever. You have to give them that, they made it to the top.

However, what they did there was pretty dang stupid and it happens everywhere. Greed trumps everything in weak individuals, it has nothing to with Fail really.

[bachviet]

That's just dumb. :2far: You have to fail to learn to be successful.