"Murray and Strout don't understand human nature. People -- especially teenagers -- don't like following pointless rules."

Au Contraire -- Murray and Strout understand fully, but as employees of the public school system, Murray and Strout are paid to teach their students to follow pointless rules with docility and even joy (or at least the feeling that they are doing the right thing).

(Edit -- I consider it a compliment that I get upvoted and downvoted so often. Teenage rebel gives me a point... humorless school principal takes it away...)