To understand where I am going with this story, you have to be aware that in Spain it is actually possible to make a long-term career out of full-time education, and I don’t just mean as a teacher. Many university students take several years more than the officially assigned timescale to complete their studies, often heavily subsidised by their parents, and many still living at home during their extended study period.

Now, it could be completely unrelated (and probably is), but it would appear that a very high percentage of the e-mails that I receive on a daily basis are invitations to enrol on courses – offering to further educate you in every subject imaginable. In the current climate I expect that a high percentage of these courses are actually aimed at the unemployed, with promises of enhanced CVs, and to that end they should probably be applauded – but it is simply the sheer volume….. Indeed, right on cue, yet another offer arrives in my inbox as I type this entry!