Thousands of kids got their exam results this week – we were a nation of funny tummies, sweaty palms and tears.
And it worries me how much pressure parents put on children to go on to university.
My 18-year-old daughter Ciara watched lots of her friends get their A-level grades – but she chose not to go to college or uni.
Instead, she left school after her GCSEs and got a job in Superdrug.
She did a couple of courses on equine psychology and hair and make-up because she didn’t know which career path to follow.
Ciara is saving up to go travelling and, until she knows what she wants to do in life, I’m pretty happy with that.
What’s the point of spending thousands on a university course she might not enjoy? Travelling will give her great life experience.
I am a firm believer in education and wouldn’t deter anyone from staying in academia, especially if they want to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher or some other profession that requires a degree.
But the truth is that personality and drive are just as important as exam results.
If I were an employer, I’d take that over someone with five A* results who I didn’t gel with.
So many people have degrees nowadays, who cares?
You are looking for someone who really shines.
My sons Shane, 30, and Jake, 25, didn’t go to university and have both done well touring with their bands.
And I didn’t go on to further education either.
I didn’t have a choice, to be honest, because I’d been touring and performing since I was two years old.
When I turned 15, I was touring Japan instead of going to college and, while some might say I was lucky, I worked really hard.
That said, my sister Denise and two brothers were intelligent enough to go to uni but our parents weren’t the type to encourage them, which I see as a real shame.
But there’s no shame in not going and I feel there’s now a lot of keeping up with the Joneses when it comes to further education and qualifications.
We have to listen to our kids. Why pressure them into something they might not want to do?
Let them find their own path.
Most of us get there in the end.
