At my old high school, in the 1990s, there wasn’t a single blade of grass. Year 11 had a patch of dust that perhaps once hosted plant life. There may have been a few weeds peeking through brickwork. I remember mostly concrete, much of it damp.

Illustration by Dionne GainCredit:

They weren’t ideal conditions. There was no room for sport during breaks, and adults worried the cold concrete would give us piles. But that patch of dust was the scene of many lively debates about life and politics by curious, clever students. The miniature hall hosted rousing performances. And the teaching in classrooms with broken fans and chewing gum on the underside of desks was, for the most part, first-rate. A lot can be........

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