In which case, he'd better go back to school and learn about averages!
In a recent speech, Mr Hunt, who is aiming to become the next leader of the Conservative Party, said he would use his negotiating skills to raise education standards by offering more funding tied to better outcomes among school leavers.
Highlighting the number of 18-year-olds who were “unable to read or add up properly” and who left school without qualifications to get a well-paid job, he said: “I will negotiate an agreement with the teaching profession: more funding in return for a guarantee that we will be the first generation to abolish illiteracy and ensure no one leaves our education system without a rigorous qualification sufficient to work up to at least the average salary.”
Now, there a few things I'd like to take issue with here, but for now, let's just consider the maths behind that statement...
By definition, if we talk about an average salary, there must be many people on a below-average salary (as well as many on an above-average salary). So, how can everyone earn at least the average salary? That's actually impossible, Mr Hunt!
Oh, and one other thing... the average salary in the UK is currently around ÂŁ30,000 for full-time workers. The qualifications required to earn that sort of income would, I think, be way above what is currently being achieved by a huge percentage of students and, quite frankly, would be impossible to achieve.
Mr Hunt also said the country “needs to get its confidence back and start walking tall in the world”.
If that's the case, maybe we should consider restructuring an antiquated education system that fails a huge proportion of our children. Not because of the standard of teaching provided, but because none of our politicians seem to realise that times have changed since the Victorian days! Our schools need to create problem-solvers with entrepreneurial skills as opposed to churning out 'robots' that can simply pass exams.
Furthermore, Mr Hunt, if the people of this country are to grow in confidence, they need to be lead by politicians who have integrity and insight. The drawn out Brexit negotiations have highlighted that many Conservative and Labour MPs have very little of either and the whole process has been a complete embarrassment that has reflected very badly on the UK. Too many MPs have sought to further their own careers, rather than do what is best for the country. They have deliberately sabotaged the process instead of looking for workable solutions.
The collective, inexcusable antics of both major political parties is pushing this country towards a major disaster, with huge numbers of people now turning towards Nigel Farage and the Brexit party. We need look no further than Donald Trump to realise that the threat of Brexit winning, or at least having a large say in, the next general election is a definite, and extremely worrying, possibility.
We need our politicians to wake up to how the people of this country feel.
We need some integrity.
We need some honesty from them.
And we need some politicians with insight and ideas that will take us forward with purpose, passion and compassion.
Sadly, I can't see that happening any day soon... but I live in hope.
Keith Jones
Living a Life of Purpose