AMONG all the aspects of the case in which a Blackburn mother is threatened with jail over her 15-year-old son attending school for just one week in a year on account of it being, in his view, "boring", did not the court hearing provide an illuminating insight into the general dumbing-down of education?

This lad told magistrates he wanted to go to college to do woodwork or something that would let him become a mechanic or electrician. Yet, when asked whether he could get into college without any GCSEs, he said: "I don't know - I'll have to see."

I'm sure if he does take the trouble to see, he will find these days lack of qualifications is not only no barrier to further education, but, more likely, a key to having the welcome mat laid before him - if the explosion in places and courses for thickos who once would never have been allowed near college is any yardstick.