Exams - A Cunning Plan

I remember one year pretending I was ill for the metalwork exam and not turning up. I stayed at home in bed feigning illness. I knew I was rubbish at Metalwork so I executed my cunning plan. I had been doing reasonably well in my first 3 years finishing 19th, 16th, 5th. I think this was the 4th year exams when I was ill (?) for metalwork.

After the exams and before class positions were announced I remember feeling confident of a top ten finish.

When the results and class positions were announced I came 25th. I thought this can't be right and worked it out that they had made a mistake dividing by one extra subject to give me my average mark. Obviously they should divide by the number of exams I took (which excluded Metalwork).

I queried this with the establishment and got absolutely no joy. They had awarded me 0% for Metalwork and divided by the number of exams including metalwork thus giving me a 25th position. There is a moral there somewhere which I'm not sure I have ever learnt fully.
(Gerry Savage 68-75)