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!!!
You know, it's almost embarrassing looking back at my own post littered with grammatical mistakes. That's what happens when you write in the morning without your cup of coffee. ha!
That said, I agree with you in many ways. I hope this teacher was able to inspire these kids to explore the many facets of their cultures and language. And I think this could be a very good program.
That said, I know high school students... they can be inspired, of course, and I'll hope the best on this one. No reason to be cynical at all on this by instinct...