I USED to dream of exams being cancelled – pray for hurricanes, electricity blackouts, bus strikes, anything that would put a barrier in the way of that dreaded moment when the invigilator says: “Begin”.

You turn over the exam paper. Your heart sinks. You scan every question and realise you know nothing.

For the Covid cohort of 2020, many would say, their dreams have come true. They have escaped the dreaded exams, and, whatever the results, responsibility for their fate has been removed.

Exam results are stepping stones to the next stage in a student’s path through their education and are a valuable indicator of a student’s ability and achievements. However, good exam results are not the making of you.

Your attitude to work and applying your talents is also needed. Success comes to those with ambition, who motivate themselves and use their talents, even in the face of adversity.

As the education bodies scramble to correct the grading debacle which has emerged from this session’s flawed system, many young people have been left disappointed and confused, losing faith in the very education that can help them. But who writes the rules anyway?

Have those students from less privileged backgrounds been penalised because of their postcode? Is it our overall attitude to education that is the problem? Why has Scotland got one of the best private school education systems in the world, some very high achieving state schools, and others that fail their pupils? Are we in danger of having a two-tier system?

Every one of our children is a diamond. They all have different facets, talents and skills, and our education system should value each of them equally. Our teachers need the funding and budget to allow each to sparkle at their brightest. It is a sound investment for our 21st-century needs.

Every child should be entitled to the best education possible. As a society, we cannot afford to let even one of our young people’s talent or ambition be lost. The investment is surely a fraction of the cost of unemployment, poor health and lost talent.