putting sticks in someone's wheels
(Mettre des bâtons dans les roues de quelqu'un in French): preventing someone, from achieving their social or educational potential, or hindering their plans all together
The current American public education is meaningless; it's putting sticks in someone's wheels. And guess whose ox is being gored? The American students'.
putting sticks in someone's wheels by Uncle Dimma March 25, 2017