Worse than that. Much worse.
Many of the urban public schools have a policy of "social promotion". Even if they hardly ever show up; even if they never pass a test - they go to the next grade, the following year.
They will also get a diploma at the end of twelfth grade.
What's amazing about this story, is that the young lady not only knows that she didn't qualify; she admits that she didn't qualify.
I've been in many high schools on the South side of Chicago. The typical belief there is that if they gave you a diploma, you must be qualified!
Magic! Or osmosis. Or something.
That “social promotion” nonsense has gone on for decades, and leads to a lot of the discontent among unassimilated minorities; they believe they actually received an education, and are upset that they have nothing to offer an employer - so it must be racism.
When I was in college it was sad how many “preferred minorities” dropped out early on; they realized how far behind the real students they were, and were quickly demoralized. Even “African Studies” majors had to take a minimal amount of “general education requirements”, and that is where they lost all interest. I could imagine the bitterness this breeds...