vegansrock I think the big issue is that pupils are judged by their exam results at 16 and 18, which open doors to higher education, which then lead on to better paid and more prestigious jobs, etc. However, that's been a growing problem for years.
Nevertheless, there's no reason why universities can't be a bit more flexible about entry standards or, if necessary, pupils could resit.
Keeping schools fully open isn't helping these pupils. There's plenty of evidence that being in school is causing anxiety about catching the virus and passing it on to families. Nobody ever seems to ask the pupils themselves what they think. I find the constant bleating about pupils' mental health very difficult to stomach because few spoke up when CAMHS funding was slashed and pupil funding, especially in poorer areas, has been cut. I honestly feel the government is more concerned about schools' childminding role.