" The dilemma I was faced with was one every parent faces sooner or later: you want to defend your child, of course; you stand up for your child, but you mustn’t do it all too vehemently, and above all not too eloquently—you mustn’t drive anyone into a corner. The educators, the teachers, will let you have your say, but afterwards they’ll take revenge on your child. You may come up with better arguments—it’s not too hard to come up with better arguments than the educators, the teachers—but in the end, your child is going to pay for it. Their frustration at being shown up is something they’ll take out on the student. "

― Herman Koch , The Dinner