Being grateful for a GCSE mathematics exam may sound like a bit of a stretch, especially on the day of the first paper (today) in England and Wales.
Public examinations, such as GCSEs and 'A' Levels, are the only time in the entire British education system where there is any degree of fairness.
It isn't fair that this morning your son/daughter is going up against those from Eton, Harrow, Wycombe Abbey and St. Paul' for Girls to name but a few of the top independent schools.
Children who are educated in schools that lie in the top 100 based on GCSE exam results, undoubtedly have the best of the best and therefore a not insignificant advantage over everyone else.
However, we must be grateful for independently written, marked and moderated examinations of the kind that the UK have been deprived of for the previous two cohorts.
The Classes of 2020 and 2021 never had the opportunity to find out what they were really capable of on the big day. Their 'big day' never came and it was a travesty that so many young people were robbed of the only day of real fairness in their academic careers.
In 2020 and 2021, GCSE grades were based on mock exams set, marked and graded by schools where the majority of teachers have had zero training by the exam boards. Mark schemes are not as simple as they appear as any honest examiner will tell you.
Algorithms that take a child's socio-economic status, attendance record, and what they scored on their SATs back in year 6 were used in part as well as the notoriously "hopeful" and frankly statistically useless "teacher predicted grades".
All teachers root for their students and so they should, but this is no way to ensure the fairness and legitimacy of nationally recognised qualifications.
Looking at the predicted grades verses the actual results at GCSE from within my own family, the inherent unfairness of using algorithms, mocks marked by one's own teacher and historical 'free school meals' data is stark.
My sister, who had the second highest IQ in the family was predicted straight A's and A*'s at GCSE, however she cruised the revision cum exam season and fell well short of her predicted grades, finishing with almost 50% B grades... and there was even a lesser-spotted 'C'!
My brother, who might have invented the term 'sloth-like' yet had the highest IQ in my family, was predicted mostly A's and A*'s with some B's reserved for the subjects where there was lots of coursework that he probably wouldn't do.
He came out slightly ahead of his teacher predictions as his natural ability shone though on exam day and he did eclipse my sister's set of results.
Then, there is yours truly - with the lowest IQ amongst my siblings - I was predicted mostly B's, some C's and a smattering of A grades. This was largely due to the fact we were still on free-school meals when I came to sit my exams.
I was furious that my teacher-predicted grades reflected my humble background as opposed to what I was doing every single day in the classroom.
As the family worker-bee I had two secret weapons that my more intelligent siblings didn't - sheer hard work and bloody minded determination.
I argued furiously with my teachers over their predictions for me - the row I had with my chemistry teacher over the stingy B that she had recorded went viral. I promised her that I would achieve an A in chemistry and "rub her face in it."
Come exam season, I was itching to get going. I loved live performance (acting), sports matches and competitions in general. I treated myself like an Olympic 100m runner during exam season.
Which is to say, I worked to a schedule, slept properly every night, ate clean and ensured that I warmed up properly before each and every exam.
And it worked.
Despite having the weaker IQ, I achieved better grades at GCSE than either my brother or sister.
I grabbed 2x A*s, 6x A's and 2x B's and YES, one of those A's was in chemistry and I certainly had my fun with the chemistry teacher come results day.
"You must have worked your butt off", she replied, tartly!
She was of course correct, but where was the accounting for sheer hard work in her predictions?
I share this with you because we should be in no doubt that children NEED to sit independently written, marked and graded public examinations.
It is the only time when children from state schools have a legitimate shot at the title.
Awarding grades based on 'teacher predictions' and 'moderations of mock results' by the exam boards is no way to treat our young people.
It is paramount that children are given the opportunity to show what they are really capable of.
If I had been in the classes of either 2020 or 2021, I would have 'achieved' 8x B's, 1x A and 1 x A* because my teacher predictions would have basically stood.
That, whilst respectable, is a far cry from what I did under my own steam in the independent exams: 2x A*s, 6x A's and 2 B's.
We must never again tolerate the cancellation of fully independent and public examinations.
In a climate of obsessive behaviours around 'equality', how is it that in the REAL examples of where equality and fairness are under the most threat, they are being completely ignored in favour of the wild imaginings of the crazed blue-hair mob?
We must ignore the screechers and keep our eyes focussed on the things that do matter. The genuine instances of injustice.
Fiercely protect your child's right to sit those independent exams and let us be grateful for the opportunities that still exist for those of us from less fortunate backgrounds.
Education isn't always fair but GCSE and 'A' Level exams are your son/daughter's big opportunity to play against Manchester United (of the 90's) and win!