There are but two ultimate sources of flourishing available to us. The wit and effort of all our people and the fruitful use of this land. They are connected.  Everything else is derivative. The news last week found us wrestling uncomfortably as we engaged with both these gifts.

First, Dr Kevin Brown, the clear-thinking president of the University of Technology, reminded us that only 6,000 of our 30,000 high-school leavers attain required standards for tertiary training.

If that were not catastrophic enough, the reality suppressed by the ministry behind those figures is that significant numbers of students are not deemed fit to sit matriculation examinations and that, of those who “pass” much diluted external tests, most achieve the lowest acceptable grade.