Coercive parental control is sanctioned by the State, but the State denies or limits parents' freedom to choose the schooling. Thus they grant the sanction of the victim. The children know, or at least feel, that school is compulsory. But because the parents are trapped into submitting to the State they act as if they want the children to go to school. Thus, any rebellion against State education is directed against the loved parents, not against the real aggressor, the State.
Teachers function, in effect, as prison warders.
Moreover, teachers, like everybody else, participate in the psychology of powerlessness and therefore benefit from the State's sub-leasing of power over the pupils. On the other hand, many teachers also like youngsters and are eager to help them grow up. Whatever the respective strenghts of such contradictory motivations amongst teachers, children are exposed to a lesson in adult hypocris. Teachers say they want to help, but come on as aggressors. Inspired by the anti-authoritarian criticism of education in the sixties, Herndon started giving lessons in creativity.