I'm not an educational snob. I left school with a moderate school pass. Then the National Senior Certificate - "matric" - results weren't treated with the fuss it's today. An unfocused student, I still hoped to study mechanical engineering but my maths grade wasn't good enough. A huge disappointment. I bettered them to meet university entrance requirements, but long story short, through self-education and perseverance I ended up graduating with a B Com. Now every year there's the paroxysm of self-congratulation when the results are released. Btw, before I go on, how is it possible the Western Cape's pass rate is around the national average, which is around the same? It's the best-run province and that should be reflected in the education department. This strongly indicates the results are fixed. Anyway, given the condition of basic education and state of society and economy school leavers are facing as adults, there's little to celebrate. The ...