They cheated, and on a rather large scale apparently.
L
Just wait until the admin realizes they can mark kids in attendance when they aren’t and still rake in the $$$$$.
“Cheating” isn’t the word. Cheating would be an honorable alternative to this scenario, insofar as it would mean that the cheating individuals recognized and respected the standards to be achieved, to the extent that they tried to pretend that they had met them.
In this case, the subject individuals did NOTHING ... made no effort whatsoever of any kind, to meet any standards, or even pretend to meet them, but were nevertheless awarded the distinctions due to those who actually had met them.
This represents, as described, a complete collapse of the educational establishment, in this regard. And we know how “collapses” go, ... they spread.