Every August, we see the same joyful images—groups of teenagers leaping into the air with their A-level results clutched in hand, faces lit up with pride. But behind those smiles lies a much harsher truth.
Many of these young people are stepping into a system that has already set them up for disappointment, debt, and frustration.
Instead of feeling triumphant, perhaps they should be demanding answers from those in power.
The Harsh Reality of Degrees Today
The sad fact is that countless students are pouring years of effort into exams and degrees that no longer carry the weight they once did.
It’s not that they haven’t worked hard—of course they have.
But the work has been misdirected, funneled into a system that churns out graduates for jobs that don’t truly require university education.
Campaigner Paul Wiltshire argues that Britain has fallen into a trap: with nearly half a million young people entering higher education last year alone, the job market has simply reclassified ordinary roles as “graduate-only.”
This has created a whole market of pretend graduate jobs, where a degree is little more than a ticket to the interview—even though the actual work could be done perfectly well without it.
Debt and Lost Opportunity
For those who decide university isn’t for them, the options are narrowing.
Jobs they could once have walked into are now artificially blocked unless they hold a degree certificate.
This means many students are pressured into taking on huge debts and spending three or more years in lecture halls for qualifications that often don’t lead to meaningful careers.
It’s a cycle borrowed from the United States, where education has long been tied to wealth and geography.
Families sacrifice and save painfully just to secure a decent school or college for their children.
Britain has, unfortunately, copied the model—complete with its inequalities.
The Cost of a “Good” School
A recent survey revealed that parents in the UK are willing to pay an average of £45,000 more just to move into the right school catchment area.
Almost three-quarters admitted they would pay extra to make sure their child has a chance at a place in a well-rated school.
This, of course, means that so-called “good” comprehensives and academies become socially selective—benefiting only those families who can afford to buy their way in.
Falling Standards at Universities
Even once students make it into higher education, quality is another issue.
Many of the newer universities fall below international standards, and those that once had stronger reputations are now struggling as they chase student numbers instead of academic excellence.
Evidence of falling standards shows up in small but telling ways—even the brightest students on quiz shows stumble over basic cultural references.
The expansion of universities, hailed as a reform that would open doors, is instead exposing cracks in the system.
It follows decades of damage to state education, most notably the closure of grammar schools and the watering down of exams.
What was meant to level the playing field has, instead, entrenched inequality further.
Why Political Action Is Needed
If any political party is serious about repairing Britain’s future, it has to confront the collapse of education head-on.
Too many reforms have been driven by ideology instead of practicality, closing schools that worked in favor of experiments that failed.
And yet, politicians continue to tinker without addressing the root causes.
A Different Kind of Test
On a more personal note, I have to take compulsory eye tests because of glaucoma in order to keep my driving licence.
I think that’s entirely fair, and I would even extend that rule to all drivers over 70.
But here’s the catch—if we can enforce tests for health, why not take a harder line on people who choose to break the law?
Anyone caught driving under the influence of illegal drugs should lose their licence for life.
Unlike age or illness, taking drugs and getting behind the wheel is a deliberate choice, one that puts lives at risk.
Reform and the House of Lords
Beyond education and public safety, there’s another reform worth considering: the House of Lords.
Nigel Farage has argued that Reform UK deserves representation there, and on this point, he isn’t wrong.
Right now, the Lords has become an unelected chamber filled with cronies and loyalists.
Until it is replaced by an elected body, it should at least reflect the will of the people.
Reform UK secured over one in eight votes in the last election and has MPs in Parliament—by rights, that should translate into a presence in the upper chamber.
Labour’s Pushback and a Bigger Question
Labour, however, has already dismissed the idea.
Defence Secretary John Healey brushed it off by pointing out that Farage himself has called for abolishing the Lords
But that rings hollow—many in Labour also want reform, yet still accept peerages when offered.
Worse, Healey suggested Reform should be excluded because its peers might not back government policy on Russia.
But in a democracy, dissent is not only permitted, it’s essential. Parliament exists to hold different views, even unpopular ones.
To deny that is to admit that our politics has lost touch with its true purpose.
What’s Next?
The bigger question hanging over all of this is simple: how long can Britain continue on its current path? Education is failing young people, social inequality is deepening, and trust in politics is fraying.
If parties continue to dodge these issues, it won’t just be students and parents demanding answers—it will be the country as a whole.
