22. MARTIN LUTHER KING HIGH SCHOOL

Martin Luther King High School is the only school still operating in the Combat Zone, and serves any student who wants to learn, of any age.  There are no assigned grades, and the diploma earned is nothing but ceremonial.  Instead the school teaches based on the students needs, classes consist of beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, with the student staying in the class until they either pass the aptitude exam, or until they drop out.

The school is run by a group known on the streets as the Elders, mostly educators who either stayed after Carnival, or came in afterwards, as well as support and clerical staff.  The school is one of the favorite causes in the Zone, not least of which because their curriculum works, in fact students who do end up sticking to it and attaining a high school equivalency here end up being comparatively

better educated than their better funded  legitimate counterparts. 

The school is able to function because it has a near zero tolerance policy towards violence or gang activity.  It also has the conditional support of many of the gangs and groups in the Zone.  After dark, the schools football field is left open as neutral ground for gang leaders to meet and settle disputes, although the grounds are constantly monitored by armed guards.

(For more on the Elders, please see Gangs Of The Combat Zone)

Written By Deric Bernier, Images from Wasteland Empires, Class Of 1999

For questions, complaints, criticisms and suggestions, e-mail the author:wisdom000@gmail.com