A report in Australia has just been released which indicts 25 SAS personnel in 39 acts of murder of civilians or prisoners of war in Afghanistan.

The government has disbanded one of four SAS squadrons and revoked 3,000 medals. In a murderous “warrior” culture, junior soldiers were encouraged by officers to kill innocents to “blood” themselves, and the patrol commanders who organised the killings covered the whole thing up.

The report has rightfully identified many structural problems but leaves the pervading military system that exists across the West (and most of the world) un-criticised.

So who is responsible for these horrific acts?

With schools remaining open, now is probably the worst time possible to hold exams. Student stress is soaring, teachers are at their wit's end, and the system of inequality which the whole thing rests on is becoming worse as a result. I was lucky enough to have finished my A-levels this year with good grades.

Those in the years below? Not so much.

The English exam system's uniformity is both its great failure and its great success. It teaches to an exam, produces some knowledgeable students, and feeds into white-collar industries or university. But it achieves this only because of its uniformity, which the Covid crisis has thrown into chaos.