IT’S exam season. It is the time when all those years of readying are poured into a concentrated moment, when fifth and six formers get sick with worry and their parents move between bitten nails and a lot of tea.

Education, and belief in its power, had, for many years, been the shibboleth for Catholics and nationalists in the north, a way to break the generations-long unionist hegemony on jobs and futures.

It’s not so long ago that ‘first in the family to go to university’ was a both a statement of fact, of proud socio-political and economic mobility, and also a rich victory.

But what now? We’re a few generations into the process, and the challenges around education are mounting – there are increased third level course fees, that while capped at £4,855 for students from the north going to colleges in the north, and remaining some way short of other parts of the UK, still represent a hefty debt to build.

Lynette Fay: The day that changed everything for me

Then there is the rising student maintenance loan repayment plan, spiralling rental costs (when accommodation is available), the challenge of finding a part-time job during course time to support yourself, and the big leap into job search when it’s all done. Enjoy Fresher’s Week!

Finding a job is hard enough, but there is a looming threat, one that is moving at a remorseless pace – AI.

It is no longer an........

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