My husband is a community college teacher. When he passes a kid through his classes, it's because that kid has proven to have learned the information presented. If he can't get the student to do the work, or to pass the tests, the student fails the class. It's just too bad "proud" isn't smart enough to follow the same system...lousy students fail, and repeat next year. When they've proven to be lousy at making the kid take responsibility, then the teacher will have to take responsibility for their failure at teaching kids reality.