People in Drivers Ed classes don't have a learner's permit either, and they're out on major roads. It sounds like the Dad was being cautious by usng an empty parking lot and it turned tragic anyway.
But the cars used by Driver's Ed classes have two brakes so the adult can intervene in an emergency. And in my area, you have to have the permit to take Driver's Ed. Though in Pa, DE is not required, just 50 hours of supervised training AFTER the permit.
I needed a learner's permit to take driver's ed. I also attended this high school. The campus is huge, and the streets surrounding the school are wide, so that must have been one long, out-of-control, scenario.
No, people in Driver's Ed class DO have a learner's permit before they get behind the wheel. They complete the basic first module of education in the class and sit for a written exam on rules of the road. They only get behind the wheel for instruction after passing the first test and obtaining a state permit.