Today, the UK government announced yet more plans to dramatically re-shape our education system. Yes, there going to privatise education and they're moving back towards schools taking pupils based on ability: in other words we're back to selection.

In the 60s it was 'out' with selection and 'in' with comprehensives; no more evil 11-plus exams to determine how bright you were. And since then we have been on the slippery slope to where we find ourselves today: more and more going to university and more and more who can't actually read or write.

But that's OK, because today there is no such thing a failure; nothing so black and white as that. No, there are just shades of grey, or rather the whole alphabet to allocate for grades. You can still 'pass' a GCSE with a G. When I did my "O" levels you needed an A, B or a C. Ds and Es? Sorry, but you'd failed.

What's so wrong with failing? Through failure you can actually learn how to succeed; you get knocked down, but you get up again... Character-building is a better word, but that sounds too... well, too elitist probably.

Certainly no room for elitism with Nouvelle Labour. Except that Tony B went to Fettes: the Scottish Eton no less.

It's all a case of plus ca change... and for those who didn't study French I'm really saying that nothing much changes. If we'd left the education system alone and maintained "O" levels and apprenticeships we'd have plenty of tradesman, and we'd have school children that knew what to do with an apostrophe.

Here endeth today's words of wisdom.