[waterhouse]

> and in doing so to an unnecessarily rote extent (I suspect because it's the easiest way to try to get it done)

That's likely part of it. I see another reason: I believe schools' incentives make them risk-averse. I think they have a stronger incentive to make one failing student do passably well than to make ten students go from doing well to doing very well.

I agree with everything else you said. I also found academic contests to be a good motivator to teach me to check my work.