There’s a lot going on in education this week, but let me focus on an absurdity. The most ridiculous thing we can do right now is have anguished debates about whether the media should be allowed to present the grade 12 national senior certificate (NSC or “matric” in the old language) results in print.

How did this become an issue when there are schools without running water, electricity and flush toilets? When many schools are reopening without basic Covid-19 mitigations in place, such as PPE equipment? When thousands of children are still not placed in schools in provinces where frustrated parents kept officials hostage? To stress over published results is like debating the appropriate wallpaper colours in the dining room of the Titanic as the distressed ship is taking on water...