Free education is something difficult to be applied without the state policy. As a teacher, I sometimes feel sad seeing some children that could not go to school because they could not pay the school fee.
By the way, in my country the school is free until junior school. It is 9 years of education. When children enter the age of senior school students, they have to pay the school fee. Most poor children are not able to continue their education in senior school.
At the age of 14-15 those poor children become un-schooled children. Some of them become young workers or live on the streets. That is very bad situation because some children who live on the street will be trapped in free living like sex, drug abuse and other crimes.
It's great to see that free education for elementary and high school is provided by your government. I think that the trouble comes when we go to college because of fees, such as laboratories, and other excess fees which might seem like a small amount for others but when also account for renting and commuting, it is a huge amount for lots of people suffering from poverty. This then results in them losing their education, and as you said, engaging in very bad habits and jobs. This is something that governments should definitely focus on. Thanks for your comment! I really appreciate it.