> My point is, grades and awards are very, very important so kids learn doing their school years that their hard work and ability WILL and SHOULD be rewarded.

That is good in theory, but it doesn't always work that way. I was the valedictorian in my graduating class, but it was mainly because I had a natural knack for the stuff that high school required. There were plenty of people I know who studied hard and worked almost every evening while I was out drinking on weekends, playing basketball almost every weekday, and staying up late playing computer games whenever I wasn't doing anything else. I did not work hard, but I walked away from high school graduation with every award that I was eligible to get and top honors. I know plenty of people who deserved it more than I did, though.

Don "I hope that this post is not construed as false modesty, boasting, or anything else--I tried to make it as factual as possible" Monkey