I think you are referring to their dreadful sample syllabi, which note still point to the Part 61 MOS for recording the competency standards.
Sample syllabuses for flying training operators | Civil Aviation Safety Authority (casa.gov.au)
A very different thing to the former Day VFR Syllabus.
CASA provide guidance and templates, which are mostly horrible things to use, but they don't write them for you.
We have a completely different system in our 141 manual which is much easier to use. If feel sorry for people who use the CASA templates because you are right they are horrible clunky things. Any school can modify them, providing you can show CASA that you have a way of achieving and recording the required competency standards.
Edited to add for 43", all our students get a hard copy of the MOS and it forms an essential part of the pre flight and debrief and it referred to so they know exactly what we mean by, for example, competency 2 in straight and level and why it is that level; so yes they do know what they are signing and what they need to prepare for, they also get to read the Flight Examiners Handbook prior to flight test, so there are no surprises and the onus is also on them to be sure that they are familiar with it all and can assess thier own progress.