Fran Healy believes school should start at age 30 because: ''When you're 12, a year lasts like six years and you're like 'My God, when's this going

to end?'.''

Q. Which school did you attend?

A. Holyrood Secondary School, Glasgow

Q. Which Highers did you sit and what passes did you receive?

A. Originally I had big ambitions and I chose five subjects: physics, chemistry, maths, English, and art. I dropped out of physics, I walked out the chemistry exam, and I ended up getting two As, in English and art, and a C in maths. I think I was robbed though. I should have got a B for maths.

Q. What did you do after leaving school?

A. I attended Woodside Secondary School - a place called the Visual Arts Studio - which is like a foundation course for getting your folio together for going to arts school. I got into arts school after that and stayed there for two years. I joined the band at the same time that I started art school, so when I left I just did the band full-time because it was all that I knew.

Q. What was your favourite school subject, and why?

A. Art, PE and English. Art because I was the best in the class and it's always good to be the best in the class, PE because I was good at running, and English because I had a brilliant teacher called Mr McLoughlin who opened my eyes to words and how brilliant they can be and told me that spelling wasn't as important as I thought it was. That's probably one of the reasons that I like and enjoy

writing now.

Q. What was your worst exam experience?

A. My chemistry Higher because the questions were written in such a way that I just didn't understand them. I walked out.

Q. Do you have any regrets about your school days?

A. No, I don't have any regrets at all.

Q What are you fondest memories of school?

A. I hated school, absolutely. I think every child, if they're normal, hates school. There's nothing wrong with hating school even though everyone thinks it is bad to hate school. I think school is like penance for sins you have yet to commit and it's a necessary evil. All the stuff you learn at school you never end up using. The most important thing you learn, definitely at Holyrood, which is the biggest comprehensive in Europe, is social skill and how to conduct yourself with anyone, because pretty much everyone went to my school - very rich kids, very poor kids, and everyone in between. Holyrood was a great school and still is a great school, but school when you're 14, you just don't want to do it.