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@ElGonzo
I went to a private primary school in Colombia then a terrible all-boys state secondary school in South London followed by a somewhat less terrible state sixth form. Secondary school was just boredom, bullying, violence, petty crime and a long line of emotionally broken teachers. So much poverty, kids from broken homes or where domestic and/or substance abuse was rife, the police where at the school gates every other week, it was all-round thoroughly shit.
Somebody I knew tried to keep track of how many from our school year of 150 were serving time or dead. At last count a few years ago it was 15 in prison and 5 dead. It seemed like the only kids who kept their heads down and wanted to go to sixth form and beyond were the ones with a strong guiding hand at home. Sixth form was less shit; there were girls, fake IDs and pubs.
I turned out alright because of my parents, they didn't have a pot to piss in but somehow I never really wanted for anything. Through various grants, initiatives and pure luck whenever I wasn't in school I was playing tennis, so that kept me out of trouble all the way through to University.