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I've been following the programmes on the ´óÏó´«Ã½2 School Season so far, and I'm really enjoying them. Gareth Malone's Extraordinary School For Boys is a really entertaining look at the gender gap and possible solutions to the problem of engaging boys in learning, and it's on tonight. I was so gutted when the boys lost their class debate last week after working so hard, so I hope they fare better this time.

The Big School Lottery has thrown up some questions for me though. It was a real insight into the intricacies of the English system. The pressure that the 11-plus exams created for some of the kids featured in the show, and their worry about which school they would get in to, isn't something that played a part in my own education here in Scotland. Placing requests were used so that you could go to the same school as your pals, or in my case, to the school that was easiest to get to. I don't remember there being this panic over different schools.

Of course, a huge part of this is the fact that Scotland no longer has a comprehensive and grammar system. There's your local school, a faith school alternative in some cases, or an independent school.

But there do appear to be exceptions to this rule. Schools such as Jordanhill School in Glasgow have strict catchment area entry which means that families have to move into the local area to ensure their child attends the school. St Ninians High in East Renfrewshire has been as a result of legal action by parents concerned about redrawn boundary lines.

Perhaps it is only a matter of time before the English way of applying to schools becomes the Scottish norm - but having watched the programme, I hope it doesn't happen any time soon.