I'm surprised you think being in a structured class is equivalent to being treated like a child. What school did you go to that did this?
It was intended as a general comment that some people might not like it and equate it like that based on his comment that only a fraction people actually attended it and maybe if it was made compulsory they might not like it and there is a probability that they will say that.
Just a point that what ever you do there will be some group that will not like it .