I think what people are forgetting is that in their world the MC's magic is not understood, and they do kot know how to use or train it properly. So to them he is severely handicapped to the point that many (less enlightened) would see him as handicapped and inferior.
@Seraphus : That sucks, and unfortunately there is way to much conform or be labeled deficient in society. That and people letting themselves get stuck in mentalities and methodologies that are long sine shown to be deficient. Plus teachers looking to power trip and assert dominance/superiority.
One thing I found amusing when I took an intro linguistics class years ago was that the average Intelligence, err IQ, of someone with certain impediments (stuttering being a good example, including being tormented and belittled for the condition) is actually higher then those who do not suffer from that condition.
There is no excuse for making someone feel Infervor, or publicly shaming someone, because they do not think the same way you do.