The big problem is that flight training has refused to modernise. Pilots are being trained to yesterdays standards. The ONtrack report showed that about half of airspace infringement happened with a GPS onboard. Its not the fault of the pilots, the flight training industry failed to provide them with the necessary skills required to fly in a modern environment. It a bit like trying to teach 21st century soldiers to fight in trenches with bayonets. Or teaching a wordprocessing course using word perfect and dot matrix printers. No matter how good the training is in the two scenarios above, the trainees will be out of place in a modern environment.
I think that flying schools can be more creative with the products they offer. Most schools offer the same product(Bare minimum) as far as i'm concerned. In the US there are schools where you can choose from 5 different types of PPL courses. Basic simulators (PCATDs) can be used to add variety, a lot of PPL schools in the US and Canada do this.
I also think that in the UK there is this believe that our training is the best in the world. Unfortunately, the end product tells a different story, if not we wouldn't be having this debate. People who knock foreign training tend to know nothing about it. The frequently-bashed american system can have you flying IFR in as little as 70 hrs.
Instructor pay is another major factor. Looking at what instructors are paid, then end product doesn't suprise me at all.
Capt. m