West German flag. So that's what I drew. Only years later my parents told me that they had subsequently been summoned by the school and had to explain that it was nothing more sinister than that - a child drawing a picture of something they had seen.

That seems like a normal response.
I'm from India and if a child suddenly drew and submitted a Pak flag for an assignment, teachers would be alarmed.

What are some positives and negatives you saw in those countries?

It'd also be very cool if you could share how the education there is like?