My theory is that some people have a threshold of 'pointlessness aversion' inadequate to the western school system. The son of the author is like that: he finds his homework useless so he won't do it. Perhaps we should admit that our society is too harsh with certain groups of people who happen to lack some abilities, I know it's been this way throughout the whole human history but since we reached an advanced level of material development we should at least reconsider this social dynamic.