It’s one of the indelible memories from my childhood.
On one side of a table, an insistent headteacher was asking me why I didn’t want to go to university when an offer had been tendered.
On the other, a teenage lad called Neil Drysdale was arguing he was more enthusiastic about studying journalism at what was then called Napier College in Edinburgh.
He rang my mother to complain
The debate went back and forth, but my interrogator wasn’t interested in a prolonged discussion. Instead, he took what I considered to be the worst possible course of action.
He actually phoned my mother and told her: “Neil is being difficult”.
It was like something you might expect from Principal Skinner in The Simpsons and, not unnaturally, I was crushed. So I went to university – and I hated it.
In recent years, it has become almost obligatory for ambitious youngsters to set their sights on campus life. In some circles, it’s almost regarded as failure if you don’t.
And yet, as some Scottish politicians have pointed out, this catch-all philosophy ignores two basic realities about life in 2025.
Nation is crying out for tradespeople
The first is that academia is never going going to be for everybody. I wasn’t the only person who became a fresher in 1978 and turned into a sourer by 1980.
The other glaring issue lies in UK industry and the dearth of skilled tradespeople across so many sectors, from joiners and plumbers to electricians, slaters, mechanics, IT experts, construction whizzkids and everything else connected with housebuilding.
The new Scottish Conservative leader, Russell Findlay, attracted praise and criticism earlier this month when he suggested a radical shake-up of the education system.
The headline which gained all the publicity was his idea that some pupils should be allowed to leave school at 14 and 15 to embark on apprentice schemes and training programmes rather than staying at school and pursuing academic qualifications.
No return to child chimney sweeps
This proposal was attacked by the Scottish Government as steering us back to the days when children worked in factories even though it was considered too dangerous.
Some even claimed the Tories wanted to return to the days of child chimney sweeps, but, behind the scenes, there was an acceptance by many that change is required.
So we sought out the contrasting views of those engaged in the argument.
Shadow cabinet secretary for education and skills Miles Briggs told me: “The Scottish Conservatives are exploring the best way to restore an education system which has been badly damaged by years of SNP mismanagement and misguided policies.
“Their focus on a limited range of options lets down students for whom university may not be the best option. We want to give young people the best possible education, but in a form that works best for them.
University shouldn’t be only option
“Literacy and numeracy are essential in every walk of life, so standards there, which have declined under the SNP, must be restored.
“But college, an apprenticeship, or some other form of training may suit some pupils better than university.
“It works in other countries, and some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs were extremely enthusiastic about Russell Findlay’s speech suggesting we explore hybrid education for students leaving school before the age of 16.
“Education is about a range of possibilities that give young people the best start, and equip them to prosper – and for Scotland to prosper as a result.”
‘It’s a way of getting cheap labour’
However, not everybody is convinced. Former Aberdeen SNP councillor, John Corall, who spent more than 35 years in education as a craft, design and technology teacher and 20 of them with the Scottish Examination Board, slated the measures.
He said: “I view their proposals as yet another avenue to get cheap labour and an uneducated workforce.”
However, he accepts the status quo is far from perfect and discriminates against those with practical skills who couldn’t care less about graduation ceremonies and diplomas.
Mr Corall added: “The problem with the UK is the class system. People who get their hands dirty at work are seen as inferior to a desk jockey with a university degree.
There should not be a stigma
“In general, boys mature later than girls and it would definitely be a retrograde step to return to youngsters leaving school at 14 or 15.
“Ideally, we should adopt the German system where technical and academic courses run in parallel and students can cross over without any stigma.
“I feel very sorry for youngsters, because the days of having a job for life have long gone, so we need educated people who can adapt to the rapid changes in the world at large.
“Apprenticeships and entry to training should be available for all ages, but what kind of work, if any, will be available?
We need to encourage young people
Aberdeen Labour councillor, Kate Blake, has a 15-year-old son and believes the notion of him being in the workplace is “abhorrent”.
She said: “Taking kids out of school from an early age does nothing to raise attainment and cuts off opportunities for those who develop later.
“This Tory plan is most likely to impact on more deprived communities and families. How do you continue to build knowledge and a general education as well as skills, so that there is an opportunity to change track at a later stage?
‘We need a skilled workforce’
“How does taking kids out of the education system before they have the opportunity to take any national qualifications, create a skilled workforce?
“It certainly is one way to push a school up the Sunday Times league table, if you remove all the kids who won’t leave school with five Highers.”
Conversation