I don't see it primarily as a failure of study tech. Note that most of this was stolen by Hubbard. No problem, he was good at seeing the ideas worth stealing.
I see it as a failure of rote application founded in ignorance, and assumptions that Hubbard was always right about all aspects about EVERYTHING.
I've done a lot of word clearing with people who had troubles studying.
Word clearing method 7 is a bed rock. They hesitate, pick it up. from there
go to simple dictionaries, and even there just use the definitions that solve the current difficulty. They'll understand what they are reading and will progress to higher understanding or could. And progression is possible.
The former principal was probably interested in the prime area of studying.
Imbuing a sense that its interesting and very worth while.
But then I'm just a squirrel. A superior one may I note