The generalization was stated as an absolute, and that's why you're getting well-deserved objection. On your second point: it is true that the students are not

The generalization was stated as an absolute, and that's why you're getting well-deserved objection. On your second point: it is true that the students are not chained down and kept from self-study, but some might say that school should be a nurturing environment, and not just not_a_jail. These students are learning the value of waiting around without doing much of anything, and are praised for their achievements despite having expended little effort. And I think it would be pretty easy to get the impression that having a 4.0 GPA indicates that you're doing well; but if you're starting the school year far ahead of the evaluation criteria, then it's false feedback.