16-year-old informs his teachers that he is not required to do any of the schoolwork they assign him: 'You can still give me the work if you choose, but it won't get done.'

If he's not required to do work, then she's not required to pass him.

We all went to school with one of those kids who did not do his schoolwork and tried to find a moral justification that made him sound smarter than everyone else. He's refusing to do his homework because school is run by the government, and he doesn't want the government controlling what goes into his head! Scrolling through TikTok is a much better way to spend his evenings. After all, TikTok is completely devoid of nefarious outside influence whatsoever. 

If a kid refuses to do his schoolwork and is openly disruptive in class, his teacher needs to address it. But there comes a point where a teacher cannot force their students to do things. It's not their job to turn an unmotivated, lazy child into a star student. If a teacher can do that, all power to them, but it's nearly impossible when half of your students are apathetic. All teachers can really do is inform their students of the consequences of their actions (or inactions) and follow through on said consequences. That's the only way to make someone really change, yet most school administrators are comfortable with their teachers taking this course of action. They would rather perpetually accommodate their laziest students and pass them along even when they do not deserve it. The more students who pass, the more money the school gets, and that's more important than actually teaching important life lessons.