the best year of school i ever had was that first year of junior school. i often think of it now. and am grateful.
then i was moved to another school that parent thought would be good. it was not.
i had not come across bullying before, including from the teacher, and snobbishness, including the teachers. and just a lack of care or interest or sense of community from the staff.
there was one good teacher, he was my form master, then i had to go to hospital, so i didn't finish the year. he had an accent that made him sound fierce, but i always preferred men teachers. more focussed on the subject in hand, less nasty, spiteful, personal as some of the females were in my exp.
the other two years i got stuck with the same form teacher. she mocked and berated me often. actually that's why i didn't go swimming. she laughed at the idea of seeing me in a swimming costume. that's it, i thought, you won't see me.
then as if by providence another teacher assumed i was not going swimming because i had been in hospital. and it ran.
they all assumed i had a medical reason not to go. deo gratias.