Many of our children are suffering today, needlessly. The GCSE examination results are published, and little swots will celebrate, while lazy miscreants are forced to shrug and mutter, 'don't matter, I'm a footballer, a pop star, or whatever'.
What do these exams achieve? What does our present education system achieve, apart from a large number of bright intelligent kids? It only measures failure. It's not the kids who have passed their exams that are of any concern, it's those who have failed.
About a fifth of our children leave school unable to read, write or understand rudimentary arithmetic. That is a disgrace.
It's not just that remedial, throwaway, bunch of thickies who lack basic skills. At the respectable university where I was once a research fellow in education the English lecturer, that's the person who teaches budding teachers how to teach English, could not send an email that did not contain spelling or grammatical errors.
We can't blame the individuals, too often they are the product of the 'progressive' era when the child's creativity was more important than any basic understanding.
Our children are not taught to think. A child has imagination, and the ability to laugh. Adults can all learn a lot from children - although most will find it hard to keep up.
Kids should be able to make mistakes without fear, because experimentation is what will drive this country forward. The present structure with the universities wagging the tail of education produces failure, and that results in disenchanted children, and a disruptive society. I'm amazed and delighted at how most of our children manage to survive the torment of school. They are forced to learn about totally irrelevant subjects, remember too much, and to pass exams that only the education system itself is really concerned about.
Most successful people had a dire time at school. They were rebels, didn't learn, didn't concentrate, yet they went on to become our finest sportswomen and men, our entrepreneurs, even our politicians (although I can see weaknesses in my argument there!).
Let's revamp the whole system. Ensure that all children, and I do mean all, can read, write and do 'rithmetic to an acceptable standard. Keep them at school until they can. Give incentives. If a 14 yr old has passed the basic tests, then let them leave school, go outside into the wider world, get a job, become pop stars, or whatever.
BUT, allow them all to return to education for a further five years at any time in their lives.
School comes at the wrong time for many people. They may see the sense as they get older. I was ancient before packing up work to go to the London School of Economics. Some will want vocational courses, other to study Sumerian, it matters not. We must all be taught to think for ourselves.
Good luck kids, and if you failed today - well done.