Many of my friends have been offering either congratulations or commiserations to their offspring over the results of GCSEs and A-levels.

Pictures on TV showed mostly those who had done as well or better than they expected and there was much hugging and backslapping.

There must have been those whose results did not add up to total bliss but, in a noble effort to persuade us nobody 'failed' in any sense of the word, they were kept well away from the cameras it would seem.

One young person I know simply went on strike and refused to get out of bed at what, to him, was the crack of dawn, and go to his school to get his results.

He told his mother he would wait until they arrived in the post, which eventually they did, and he then stressed her out even more by resolutely remaining asleep while she paced the floor with a large envelope.

Eventually her curiosity got the better of her and she shook him awake and thrust the envelope into his hands.

Reluctantly he opened the missive and relayed he had done pretty well and could he please now be left in peace to finish his much needed rest. I imagine her language was less than diplomatic!

It is all so different from the days when I was at school.

A senior member of staff would be dispatched to London to pick up the results of what was known in those days as General Schools Certificate and its brainier relation, Matriculation.

The equivalent of A-levels was known as Higher Schools, and to hope of going to university you had to gain exemption from Matriculation at the lower age and go on to do Highers and pass well.

No chance of lying in bed and hoping the post would bring good news for my generation. We had to go to the school hall and before the whole school your results were read out.

If you had been in the B stream you were expected to achieve at the very least a good pass in General Schools and occasionally a member of the B stream would unexpectedly get Matriculation.

As the name was read out, a round of applause would break out for the happy girl who had done better than her wildest dreams.

Then came the names of those in the A stream, all of whom were expected to have gained exemption from Matriculation. All the individual subjects for each girl were read out and whether you had merely passed or passed with honour.

A kind of black pall descended on you if you were one of those who had not made it into the upper echelons of achievement.

Your name had been read out in front of the whole school - no chance of lurking in bed for us or of hiding our results under the bed so our parents could not see them.

We had to work very hard in those days and take a lot of subjects and the standards were high.

But we were lucky to get a very firm grounding in our general education and for that I have always been profoundly grateful.

It may have been tough and bordered on the sadistic to be shown up, both good and bad, but as you came up through the school you knew what lay ahead if you didn't do your best in your Matriculation year and it concentrated the mind wonderfully.

In those days there was no going out that evening and getting smashed out of your skull in the local hostelry but, all the same, there was a great feeling of satisfaction in knowing you had done well, especially if you were one of the B stream who had unexpectedly matriculated.

There are a lot of young people feeling just as proud as we did in our time and good luck to them - I just hope they are not too hung over to enjoy their successes!