In England at least, I don't know about the Colonies, but twelve years of Socialist government have bowlderised our dictionary to the point where you might as well throw away any edition written before 1997. They would be considered offence to modern sensibilities.
   It really doesn't matter what terminology you use, it's what you do about the problem!
   In my day it was accepted that the slower members of the class were properly prepared for a life involving tools. In Blair's Britain it appears that everyone simply must go to University.
   The wrong approach methinks!