During my son's first year at secondary school, I was invited to the annual prizegiving ceremony. This was not much fun as it involved 90 minutes of uninterrupted, indiscriminate applause for other people's children.

In the course of it, I noticed that most of the academic prizes were being won by Chinese and Indian children in neat uniforms who were being videoed by proud parents. There were a few Jewish boys who seemed to be netting some trophies but the Wasp contingent was not getting much, save a handful of prizes for art. These boys sloped up to the stage in their tatty blazers, with long hair flapping while their cultured parents clapped indulgently.