Fail? Not in my dictionary

At a meeting of the Professional Association of Teachers, retired teacher Liz Beattie suggested that pupils should not be told they have failed a test, but have "deferred success". She suggests that telling the little darlings they have failed can undermine their enthusiasm. The suggestion has been given short shrift in all corners, but I think it could be applied to other aspects of life. Prisoners could be said to have "deferred freedom", ill people have "deferred health". The jobless are just "deferred employed", the poor "deferred rich", and if your lottery numbers haven't come up (again) you're just "deferred lucky". Death could be just "deferred life" (if you believe in reincarnation) and life "deferred death". For myself, it cheers me up no end that I can say to the bank manager that my finances are in actual fact "deferred in the black"..... In a related item, pupils at Uplands Manor Primary School in Smethwick, West Midlands will see their mistakes (sorry, deferred perfections) in green rather than red ink. This is to decrease the "negative impact" that is associated with the colour red. That also implies that the pupils are too stupid to simply start regarding that green has the same impact as red.....