Dick,
Nothing that I have contributed to this nor to any other pprune string has ever advocated rote learning. Indeed the entire focus of my contributions has invariably been a desire to provide explanations pitched at a level at which the typical student can handle them. A good many students who have previously studied at other schools come to me for help in preparing for examination resits. The vast majority subsequently comment that having spent time with me they not only know the WHAT, but also the WHY of the subjects covered. Such comments are not the product of rote learning.
The subjects of minimum control speeds and aircraft handling following single engine failure are a standard part of the JAR POF syllabus. I therefore deal with them in that manner. Before we get too wound up on what is or is not an appropriate aim for the JAR exams, we should remember that the advanced flying training carried out on completion of the written exams includes a period of theoretical and practical exercises which cover these subjects in great detail. You appear to be making the mistake of assuming that the ground school training is the only training. It is not.
When the time comes for providing guidance on examination technique, I remind the students of the advice most frequently voiced by the CAA examiners. "Answer the questions that have actually ben asked in the exam paper, and not those that you might wish to have been asked" Or to summarise "RTFQ".
The comments in my previous post related specifically to your assertion that, "However, the cases referred to in the JAA questions are for Vmc, and if you want minimum Vmc....". This is a classical case of failure to RTFQ. Any student faced with this question is quite simply wasting valuable examination time if he/she ponders the subject of Vmc. The question is actually about forces in flight and instrumentation, and should be addressed as such.
You comments "I, personally think you are putting too much emphasis on criticism of the question bank." is somewhat curious. I am not aware of having made any serious critiscism of the question banks in any of my posts to this string. I actually think that the questions to which we have referred are quite good in that they combine aspects of more than one subject and require the students to think.
Finally it might be worth looking again at my comments regarding the purpose of the student when taking the examination. From the moment a student walks into the examination room concepts such as learning or what should or should not be in the syllabus become irelevant. The sole objective of the student must be to pass that examination. Nothing else matters for the duration of that examination period.