I think I've been too biased towards one side of the spectrum.

The side where we shouldn't care so much about achievement, but about the student.

Yet, as I see confident children, smiling with their attainment and proud parents.

I cannot help but to believe that it is a beautiful thing when we teach our children how to work hard for something worthy and to get fruits for it.

Pity is the student who works hard and gets no reward and develops the idea that hard work doesn't equate to success (in the way expected) and very early in life chooses to take the easy path of least resistance.

Pity is the student who doesn't know the joy of excelling. But is trapped by his low self-esteem or critism or laziness and never labors nor see the rewards of his labor.