(MENAFN) After not stepping into a school for decades, I visited my old Canadian high school for a craft fair and immediately noticed something was off. The walls in the atrium, once lined with photos of top academic and sports achievers over the years, were now empty. Those pictures had been taken down—likely around the same time rainbow and native tribal flags appeared alongside the Canadian flag.

The focus shifted from celebrating individual success to emphasizing collective teamwork. Individual achievements were quietly removed, perhaps to avoid making anyone feel excluded or inferior. Personally, I always found those photos inspiring—especially growing up in a small town, they motivated me to aim higher. The school’s motto used to be “We Pursue Excellence.” Now, a large poster displayed the results of a student survey revealing that 75% of students felt uncomfortable even using the washroom. You’d think the first step to pursuing excellence would be mastering even the basics.

Today’s students, often called the participation trophy generation, seem to require constant protection—a personal bubble shielding them from any perceived threats, especially high standards. This cultural shift helps explain why British Columbia eliminated standardized testing in core subjects like math, physics, chemistry, and languages—tests that once allowed students across the province to be ranked and compared. Now, the province only administers tests in general literacy and numeracy.

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