I'm just really glad when I went through high school none of this was a thing. You worked hard and earned success, or you slacked off and suffered the consequences. Or you fell somewhere in-between as appropriate.

Our society has made it taboo to tell students the (sometimes) hard truth about where they stand, so that they can be aware of what they need to work on to improve. This fear of hurting feelings and this need to make everyone feel like a winner has stifled the drive and motivation that could manifest from the want to do better and prove yourself.

Deciding to work hard is, has been, and will always be a personal choice, but instead of encouraging that, we're just trying to make everyone feel happy about themselves the way they are. That's good for people's mental health, but it's harmful for long-term success. Those that would never put in the work in any case, never will. So at least create an environment where those that would can thrive. That's what I think anyway.