Why schools still need the f-word

To thousands of teachers across Canada, Lynden Dorval is a hero. He's the Alberta physics teacher who was fired two years ago for giving zeroes to kids who didn't hand in their assignments. Despite his spotless teaching record of 33 years, both the principal and the superintendent of the school board decided that Mr. Dorval's refusal to adopt the school's new no-zeroes policy was a firing offence. His grading policy was too old-fashioned for our pedagogically enlightened age, in which schools have virtually banished the "f" word: fail.

Two weeks ago, Mr. Dorval (now retired) was completely vindicated when a tribunal found that he had been "unfairly dismissed." Not only had he been denied due process, it said, but he was also right in his judgment of the policy. Several teachers testified on his behalf. They told the tribunal that when there are no consequences, a disturbing number of students – quelle surprise! – don't do the work.

Yet no-fail policies have spread like kudzu vines across the school system. They are the product of schools' natural desire to boost completion rates (which makes them look better) and an educational philosophy saying that marks are bad, and that bad marks are especially bad because they discourage kids. Some school boards are scrapping letter grades entirely. The tyranny of rating, ranking and sorting is thought to stifle creativity and dampen students' innate love of learning for its own sake. Bewildered parents will now have to decipher phrases such as "evident," "emerging," and "support required" to figure out how well little Dylan reads and writes.

In Canada, the godfather of these no-fail assessment policies is Toronto consultant Ken O'Connor, aka the Grade Doctor. He believes "student behaviour" is entirely different from "student achievement," and should not be lumped in with it. Therefore, students should not be marked down for late work, skipped assignments, absence, missed exams or even cheating. Instead of punishing a student by lowering their grade, schools should "apply other consequences."

These theories are wildly popular with educrats, although not with parents, and not with all that many teachers either. When Newfoundland's largest school board announced in 2011 that students would no longer be failed for cheating, it faced a widespread citizen revolt.

In fact, Mr. Dorval's motivational techniques – he allowed his students to replace their zeroes with real marks once they actually did the work – were remarkably successful. The tribunal found he had the best record in the school, and perhaps the province, for completion rates.

But although he won the battle, he's losing the war. The Edmonton school board has introduced a new policy that does allow teachers to give zeroes – but the procedure is so onerous that hardly anyone will use it. It involves giving the student multiple chances, explaining how the non-work might affect his mark, meeting the student and his parents to form a strategy, and documenting it all for the school administration. In other words, if the kid doesn't do the work, it's the teacher who gets punished. "Some teachers say they're just going to stop giving assignments," Mr. Dorval told me.

The irony is that fashionable pedagogy and public demand are moving in opposite directions. Parents, taxpayers and governments are demanding more rigour and accountability and higher standards from the education system, while boards and consultants are pushing for less. But parents know life has consequences – and most of them think that's a lesson their kids are not too young to learn.