One of two related articles by the ever-wonderful Alfie Kohn. The other, on 'growth mindsets' is at http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/mindset/

Both are cutting attacks on a couple of terrible education fads that appear to be gaining sway with politicians and that are both, as Kohn explains very well, not about supporting creative, interested, engaged learners but instead about ensuring conformity and control. As it often the case in Kohn's articles, both swing round to Kohn's central agenda of promoting self-determination theory, both are well informed by substantial research. Kohn is kinder to Carol Dweck's growth mindset research than to the appallingly unsupported and unsupportable 'grit' nonsense promoted by appropriately named Paul Tough, but the results are much the same: the focus on making individuals fit the structure rather than changing the poisonous structure of educational systems themselves.

Read one, read both.