How is it possible?

How is it possible that the boy at the start (Mohammed Haithem) who seemed very well-spoken, and really had some profound things to say at such a young age, could fail the first grade 2 times? He even said he was 4 years older than the rest of his class.

I got the feeling he was reading off a script that someone else wrote for him or at least being heavily coached in to what to say, which is why he almost never speaks on camera and mostly narrates over background footage. Of all the time he is on camera he only manages to mumble a few words.