John Holt in an interview about his book Escape From Childhood: Discussing work with traditional schools then with alternative schools, said that when one need was met another cropped up, when one stress was removed something else came up. "I was thrown back on what Paul Goodman wrote in Growing Up Absurd: what young people really need is a sense of growing in and into a society that makes some sense, and in the absence of this I came to feel more and more that there isn't anything a school can do to meet this need."

John Holt, in an interview about his book Escape From Childhood: "I wanted to make the point that if a child likes the condition of being a child, meaning: helpless, subservient, as I say some kind of slave or super pet -- if he's happy living in that condition then I say fine; I wouldn't disturb him for the world. All I say is if a child has had enough of living in this sequestered and segregated and powerless condition and wants to live more actively and responsibly, move out into the world, like a full human in the world, then I feel he should be able to do it."