I fit into the same bracket, I left school with no qualifications, was a labourer for a few years and got fed up being looked down at.Not sure what you mean by that Tengu.
Someone who is willing to learn. And contribute to the subject.
I left school with no qualifications.
One of my Tutors left school with no qualifications; she was told she would get nowhere.
She now has a Phd.
I have dyslexia, and that is what has held me back all this time, but no one would say why I was having trouble, let alone give me time to help me. I was classed as lazy, trouble maker and a few other things, just because I didn't understand and no one was willing to understand me.
I decided to prove everyone wrong, about what they thought of me. I didn't change me, I just aimed higher, and didn’t look back....since then I have written UK and European policy on air quality, I have trained police to investigate drug sences, I have been a university lecturer, I have written UK wide agricultural schemes, my research has been used to counter high court challenges and changed the way that British open golf courses view the environment.
Currently I am working towards safeguarding your drinking water.
And all this from someone that was told I would never amount to anything.....i think in my case that what I was told would be impossible, is in fact probable if you change the way you view your own abilities.
In summary, education is freedom to be what you want to be and do....but has to be fun too