The Ebacc, and the general devaluing of vocational qualifications, has been policy makers in London telling kids everywhere else that we only value things that will help them leave, not things that will help them stay. Pulling the rug from under kids in the name of justice.

I don't think this was the original intention - we sonetimes forget how bad the gaming was and how many kids were denied chance to study academic subjects - but we could have dealt with that by dealing with the perverse incentives created by league tables.

Instead, we decided to tell kids that these were less valuable in themselves. And why? Because to the policymakers - everyone one of whom were graduates and whose kids were likely to be too - anything but academic success was of a lesser order.

It'll take a while to clear that mess up.