Nice thread OP.

Much of this "new wave" has been implemented under the guise of protecting the childs self esteem. To some degree that's fair, if we only compare the abuse routinely doled out by educators many decades ago, be it verbal or physical.
But it's gone way beyond that. Now every kid gets a sticker, or ribbon or whatever just for turning up. God forbid you mark their work with a red pen, it will do untold psychological damage or everybody wins the race, there is no first place any more. Couple that with a curriculum that's designed to dumb children down.