You overpaid for yours, Bambu.
To the end of high school it was free...back in 1964.
University was free on scholarship for the best and brightest.
Primary school...up to age 12 was a breeze.
High school, first 3 years were ok, reached my 70% student standard, [think that's a 'C']. The latin, french, maths, history, science, english etc were
basic.
After those 3 years you were 15, passed the Intermediate Certificate...were given a fancy certificate to say so, and could leave school and enter the workforce if you wished.
It would usually be Christmas then.
Sometime in the next year your would turn 16.
Most who left school then did trades apprenticeships...carpenters, plumbers, motor mechanics etc.
All good, young bambu, 15 going on 10, was 'sailing' thru life. Got his fancy certificate, framed it and hung it on the wall.
The next year was when all his troubles began.
The latin and french became a lot harder, the maths 1 and maths 2 were impossible, the physics and chemistry super impossible, the history ridiculous, and english not much better..there I encountered Mr Shakespeare. Had to repeat that 4th year...failed to reach progression marks.
Finally got into the fifth and final year...70% 'C' went south to 49% 'F' and it was no fancy 'Leaving Certificate' for young bambu.
In the 49% 'F' somewhere there was a good grasp of
basic maths and english grammar/spelling, not perfect, but good enough.
As luck would have it, banks etc were allowing people who had been educated to "Leaving Certificate Standard" [pass or fail] to sit their 'entrance exam'.
2 +2 = 4, and basic english grammar, young bambu's specialties.
Early Dec 1964, young bambu, 18 going on 12, too innocent, too nice, too polite, too well-mannered, too well groomed, not the first clue about anything much, arrived for his first day in the workforce...like a lamb to the slaughter.
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