I skipped school once. Now the local kids seem to do so on a daily basis and with teachers’ approval

Mr Smith was my favourite teacher. He’d fought in a tank regiment in North Africa in the Second World War and that experience left him with a world-weary demeanour. His formative years were part of history and now his job was to teach the past to teenagers only interested in the future. No wonder he seemed terminally fed up.

We got along well until the day I sneaked out between subjects to a nearby shop. Mr Smith also liked to pop out for a packet of Rothmans and our paths collided at the checkout. “Why are you here?” he boomed. I went red and made a hasty exit. Nothing more was said but I always got the feeling he was slightly disappointed in me from that day.

No wonder. He’d put his life on the line and watched men die so kids leading comparatively easy lives could ignore his lessons and skip out of school. From that day onwards, I stayed in class whenever I was supposed to be there.

Children in Malawi appear to have a better understanding of the importance of education than some of their Scottish counterparts (Picture: Amos Gumulira) | AFP via Getty Images

‘Free time’ for older pupils

Who knows when that even is now? At my local school, the start time is 8.45am and there is then a brief window of opportunity when people can visit the shops in peace and quiet before the steady flow of kids begin around 9.30am.

By 11am most seem to have disappeared and staff are able to stock the shelves before the rush begins again just after noon – an hour ahead of official lunchtime.

In the long afternoon queue for a pint of milk behind kids buying sweets and juice at 2.30pm, I spotted a teacher wearing a lanyard so asked him why the shop always seemed to be full of pupils. He explained flexibility in timings avoided a headlong rush by everyone at the same time plus some older children had free time which they were encouraged to use responsibly.

Teaching young people through experience how to navigate the retail environment may be a useful life skill but it’s not as important as actually being in school learning lessons. We may live in a flexible work environment but too much flexibility in school is a mistake that comes from the best of intentions but doesn’t help anyone.

Malawi’s children an example to Scotland’s

In the thick of it, the school day may seem endless and, to some, pointless. But these precious few years are a chance to soak up knowledge and information, to learn about the world and how to interact with others. Some of my best friends are people I met at school.

Wishing this time away is a mistake, as is wasting it. I’ve never forgotten the kids I met in Malawi who walked five miles through the bush every day to get to school for 7am where they would sweep the floor and lay out the planks and bricks they would sit on for classes.

Those lessons were the one chance they had for a better life and they knew they had a responsibility to make the most of the opportunity.

Our education system may not be perfect but it is a privilege to have the chance to learn in a safe, warm and comfortable environment. All we have to do is turn up, be there and make the most of it.