"This kind of thing happens all the time"
Perhaps this is why he is standing up against this?, perhaps he thinks that someone's got a put an end to all this and that he must take matters into his own hands?
Not really. For many, it's just that it's not "their thing". More that 50% of the incoming students failed the first semester at the college I attended. Many tried a couple times and then went away to pursue other careers. I would never favor dumbing down the curriculum to accommodate people who want to be professional engineers but can't do math...
One day, I could be flying the planes they designed.