Appalling.

As someone intent on minimizing performance gaps, I am puzzled as to why educators (where you are, where I am, and elsewhere) think that cutting down tall poppies is effective or merited, and how the public can buy into this.

How about they teach math well in the early years, so that later gaps are based on legitimate, irremediable differences in ability? No student should face barriers to math learning for social reasons. Likewise, no student should be held back from his/her potential for social reasons.

Reminds me of this short film. Worth a watch if you have 9 mins to waste, and are fed up with asinine educational policy:

What is to give light must endure burning.