There can be many reasons for failure in school such as a feeling of helplessness, a lack of personal responsibility, inadequacies of schools or parents, and the influence of TV and movies. There are educational handicaps which are addressed on several pages of this site. In the USA, educational reform needs to address the lack of respect for teachers, parents, and for discipline.
Civility can decrease anger and other self-defeating behaviors.
Civililty can lend itself to empowerment in learning abilities. Peers sometimes pressure students with an anti-education attitude. Sometimes, parents and teachers have been unreasonable, even hostile. If this happens in front of the children, this has a very damaging effect on academic achievements. There is negative power in negative thinking and positive power in positive thinking.