conor_mc makes a very interesting distinction.
I would also suggest he might have done an integrated course. This is very short on hours but also on responsibility. The pilot never signs for an aircraft, always being signed off by an instructor. They are not flying independently, but IMHO being monitored too closely. This encourages literal interpretation, and lack of thought as to the reasons behind actions.
I have taken over students from an instructor who had completed an integrated course, and they had not been taught as PPL students should be. The limitations of their previous instructor's experience really did show.