Something cropped up recently and a derisory remark was made about someone's poor performance in something completely trivial. It was an unnecessary and cruel remark.
It reminded me of a situation in my life more than 60 years ago in a history class at school.
I was always near the top of the class in English Language, English Literature and did pretty well in Mathematics and Geography and was middling in most of the rest of the subjects. However, in the fifth year I came bottom in the school in the year end history exam. One spiteful little toerag decided to ask the Master who was bottom. I will always remember the History Master's response. "If you have a system where someone is top then there will inevitably be someone at the bottom." That same toerag came to my house before the GCE asking me to help him with his maths.
The subject of top or bottom was never mentioned again.
I'm told that nowadays no one is allowed to be 'top' or 'bottom' in school because it might mean some children having mental problems or low self worth.
The reality of life is that that in itself won't stop kids making fun of those they perceive to be less able in a particular way. If we want to do something about the problem then we have to have a positive system and encourage people to do what they are good at and not necessarily persist with things for which they have no aptitude.
After all when I was in New Zealand an electrician or plumber commanded a much higher hourly wage than a dentist. [The caveat there is that the fee for dental care included a vast amount of overheads compared with an electrician].
