How to screw up kids

This sounds like something from The Onion, but it’s actually a suggestion from the helpful folks at London’s Daily Telegraph:


"The word 'fail' as a verdict on children's exams and other school work should be abolished and replaced with the term 'deferred success,' a teaching union official is proposing. Liz Beattie . . . believes that some children find 'failure very hard to cope with' and that it can lead them to becoming depressed."


Wow, I don't know where to start, the possibilities here are endless. My Orioles haven’t been losing, they’ve been “deferring victories.” The house or car note isn’t debt, it’s just “deferred income.” You didn’t really break up with that girl, you just “deferred marriage.” No, officer, I’m not drunk, I just “deferred sobriety.”

Is there anybody for really thinks this kind of idiocy (along with grade inflation, social promotion, and other PC foolishness) is good for children? Learning to deal with failure would seem to me to be one of the most important aspects of preparing children for adulthood.

On the other hand, if you are in the mental health or supporting industries, this sort of nonsense is a great way to create for you an ever-expanding base of potential future clients.