THE recent GCSE and A Level results have shown that more students than ever before are gaining passes and that more of them are gaining top grades.

Well what a surprise!

It's a common-held belief that exams are getting easier and, sorry to say it, but that would seem to be the case.

Now before I am inundated with letters from irate parents who say that their precious little Jimmy or Kylie has slaved over his or her schoolbooks (if indeed in this age of 'inter-active learning' they still have books) for months to get his exams, I am not having a go at the pupils themselves.

Just as football managers are only too prone to say 'you can only play the team you're drawn against', today's pupils can only take the exams which are set for them.

No, my real gripe is with those responsible for the education set up in this country who seem determined to remove some of the pride in achieving something.

What they don't seem to get their heads round is the fact that unfortunately everyone is not equal when it comes to exams. It's a stark fact of life that some people are brighter than others.

But, they cry, that's to discriminate against those less blessed in the brains department.

So what we'll do is ensure that all failures are still classed as a pass and that we'll bring the standards down to allow more people to say they've done really well.

This diminution of standards is symptomatic of what's wrong with this country.

Sadly we've become an 'it'll be all right' society where the tolerance of mediocrity has become the norm.

Still if this is the case, at least exams taking these days has become a true preparation for life!