YOU aren't a FAILURE anymore!

[Merika]

You are a DEFERRED SUCCESS!


LONDON (Reuters) - 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.

[Paul]

deferred hahaha that's a load of crap. If you want to ban fail, you need to first define success. There are different levels of sucess in different areas, in some I've not accomplished all I want to but in others I'm very successful. Who has the right to tell me or a child what they are "deferred" at and compared to who?

[Merika]

This reminded me of the steps they wanted to take in the US for teachers to no longer grade papers with a 'red' pen....because it was too harsh and was a stigma of failure.

My point is....if they keep patting kids on the head instead of EXPECTING something.....we'll end up with a generation of complete idiots.

[twinkle]

I admit I always feared the red marks on my notebook, but was more comfortable when the teacher was using another colour - lol, I guess everything is in your head.

Personally, I believe it's very important that a child confronts the term "failure". Otherwise, how can he trully understand and appreciate the word "achievement", or "success"?

I'm sorry, I agree that kids' heart shouldn't be broken over a bad mark in Math, however, there's no doubt, when presenting yourself at an exam, there are only 2 choice: you either pass or fail. More and more, kids are forced to pushing their limits. Knowing the 2 extremes should make them more intouch with themselves and with reality.

[Meanon]

That's what happens when political correctness becomes the norm. I agree with not labeling kids a failure but the solution is laughable. Mind you, it may well be a hoax. A few papers here love to stir up sentiment agianst so called do gooders and professionals with outlandish exaggageration.

My dad once wrote an internal staff memo on the use of language with certain communities. He was pointing out that if you were black, constant reference to black in negative contexts could be annoying. A national paper said that he was trying to BAN the use of words like black forest gateaux and blackboard. LOL! We still tease him about it.

[twinkle]

They can always call the Black Forest Gateau Foret Noir, LOL!!!

All great cultures get confronted with silly problems, especially linguistical problems.