A Sydney headmaster told parents that children who barely passed "C" in the semi-annual report also deserve to be celebrated.
Canterbury South Public School headmaster Daniela Frasca says children who reach the lowest levels of English and math should be praised.
But experts warn that this mediocre performance is not good for students. They should encourage students to improve their performance, not to follow the flow.
In a school newsletter this month, Frasca`s headmaster wrote to parents that passing the line indicated that the children were on the right track.
"getting a pass is something to celebrate," she wrote. "passing means your child has begun to learn."
Other scores will indicate whether your child is better than expected, or needs more help. "
In the scoring system, failure is not an option, but the score is "E".
According to Frasca, "E" means a child is "difficult to learn," but only "at this time and in this field."
Helen Watt, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Sydney, says the pursuit of mediocrity is not in the best interests of students.
"I do think this is a wrong message. I can`t help but think of George Bush saying that passing students can be president, "she said."
"A passing score is nothing to celebrate in itself, but if it means they have made progress, it should be something to celebrate."
Professor Watt says this makes every child feel special, no matter how mundane they are.
Since 1983, education expert Howard Gardner has come up with his theory of multiple intelligences, in which everyone is different in his own way.
In the 1990s, the theory was introduced to schools, giving students a feeling of exaggeration about their abilities.
Now, she says, teachers` fashion philosophy is Carol Dweck`s "growing mentality," which encourages teachers to reward students for their efforts and improvements.
Canterbury South`s 276 students did not perform well at NAPLAN. Since 2012, the average score of the school`s fifth graders has been lower than that of its peers.
In spelling, the school`s average performance has been below average since 2015.
Since 2013, students in grade 5 have been below average in grammar and punctuation.
Frasca declined to comment. A spokesman for the Ministry of Education said "C" is a "good result", which means that children`s learning is "on track."
