School, what's the point?

One of my sons has a not so good grade in English.  SO, I kept telling him, "You CANNOT fail a core class, you won't pass to the next grade and you'll have to do summer school".  He kept telling me, "no, it doesn't matter, they told me that Mom."  So yesterday I called and left a message for the school counselor.  She called me back this morning.  I told her what I thought, and what he had said about it, and I asked her if she could just please sit him down and let him know that he's wrong, that he can't fail English and still pass.  She paused for just a second, and then she said, "He's right.  Since he's not failing nor has he failed 6 classes, they will do nothing.  He will not have to take summer school, in fact it's not even available this summer due to cuts in funding.  He will be passed on to the next grade w/ no repercussions."   WHAT?!  I was shocked, when I finally picked my jaw up off the floor, I didn't know what to say.  I had suspected that was the case all along, but to have the COUNSELOR come right out and tell me that, I just couldn't believe it.  She also told me that all the kids know it, they are completely aware and if they don't want to do the work, there's really not a whole lot that the teachers can do about it.  Can someone then please tell me, WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT OF GOING TO SCHOOL???!  If the kids are aware that they can do absolutely nothing and still get prodded on to the next grade then how do they get any learning done?   I just don't know what to say, my frustration level just went up with that call and I don't know that there's a way to fix it.    I feel really bad for all the teachers out there, if this is what they have to deal w/ and their hands are tied, I don't know how they deal w/ it on a day to day basis.  On the edge of pulling all my hair out...