Once my math teacher told me that we are not able to change our lives and that we will be repeating our parents' lives forever. She was right. In the past I denied it.
basic sociology and psy -- "Vicious cycle". Applicable to the poorest part of a society mainly.
You will not repeat it completely though most parts of it because you are in this environment, you were brought up like that; you have to be conscious and very strong to -consciously- break out. It is possible. Nothing is impossible. If everyone was to repeat their parents' lives the same teacher would probably be a peasant (like her parents most likely), not a teacher.
Telling things like that to young students is more than incompetent and irresponsible.