Curious where you live, because non of those were a thing where I live.

Free transportation? You mean like your parents pay for it? Cus otherwise I'm confused.

Cheap food exists outside school too. Be it canteens or homemade food.

I'd argue that homework with parents more than kills any "free time" I had. Or rather I was the only kid that had free time, because I refused to do homework, ofc that meant getting yelled at by like every adult, but even slight freedom was worth it to me, even if it was lonely.

And especially bad grades do indeed mean expulsion. It also means what school you're allowed to go to, and in places like Germany even the level of education you're allowed to reach and thus dictating your fate at such a young age. As for me, I happened to always be in the good enough range of grades, because my parents kept forcing me. If it wasn't for their intervention, I'd have a complete fucking shit life now, just like all the kids with parents that didn't care. It's pure bullshit.

School is hell. Words can't expres how glad I am to have it behind me and I dread the day I'll have a kid and I'll have to see the system all over again.