Sure. Why not? These kids do have a skill... That said, they better damn sure know English.
There's a very good part of the that is extremely skeptical. I'd be willing to bet a very high percentage of the students took this class to simply coast. Nothing quite like challenging yourself in something knew. That said, again, why not get the credit that's there?
Correction: There's a part of me....
It's not necessarily a "coast". You are being tested on Spanish grammar and literature also. If you grew up in a household without formal education, you may not be aware on a conscious level of all the parts of speech and tenses.
Its the same with native English speakers; many are ignorant of grammatical concepts. I took AP Spanish in HS. Native Spanish speakers were at an advantage in the introductory level classes, but most who continued did learn a lot about grammar and structure as did the non-native speakers.
We also covered Spanish literature and poetry, something many native speakers had not done at home either. In addition you study a bit of Spanish culture, and, flash!!, it's a very diverse culture from Europe to South America to North America. Kids from any particular national background, say Puerto Rican American, can learn something about Spanish history and culture while reading Don Quixote.
Kudos to anyone who pursues formal education to enrich themselves!!!
He was not, he did get to take the class and he did well.