I agree that it worked, to some extent. But I am the kind of person who was always going to learn, whatever the circumstances I would have sought out learning opportunites, that is my personality (as evidenced by the different outcomes for my siblings).

But what I didn't get was the education on how to be at school. So I did really well academically but struggled institutionally. Now I know there is a great deal made of the advantages of being a free thinker outside of the crushing institutionalisation of the school system, but being part of an eucational institution is a skill and I didn't learn it.

So I dropped out at 16, only did about half of my exams, then it took 14 years of working in service industry jobs before I worked out that I could in fact go to university. Nobody had told me that it was a possibility for me. I ended up in university through my 30s so now in my early 40s I'm starting out where I could have been in my mid 20s. It's effected my earning potential, my pension (I don't have one), my career prospects, and my parenting choices. I am having to do everything all at once and to be honest, that annoys me.

So yes, I did OK, but I was certainly negatively impacted.

Maybe as you say I would have hated school or found it limiting. But I was not given the choice to find that out and now we will never know.