"Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the mind of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them.” These are the opening lines in Dicken’s novel Hard Times, spoken by Mr Gradgrind, the notorious school board Superintendent. That was a long gone time in the 19th Century.

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Our schools are no longer just a place for facts and the teaching of facts.  Instead we preach and teach many other things to students in order to show them the true path of lives.  Dictation has been replaced by analytical comprehension.  Parental authority has given way to reasoning and discussion.  Most of all, physical punishment has conceded defeat with the triumph of care and encouragement.  

It is beyond dispute that care and encouragement can do miracles to students and boost up their motivation in learning.  Be it a tiny pin or a few words embedded on a USB flash drive, every little drop of recognition bestowed on the students will transform into raging waves that fuel their upward movements. They help demonstrate that hard works are worthy of appraisal, whilst virtuous conduct warrants commendation.  These are Hard Facts that we can never deny.