Hmmm...now there's a novelty.
I've seen the occasional student who, applying the standards in my previous life as a military QHI, would have failed. In fact it took great effort, for quite a while, for me not to apply those standards/criticisms.
Student No2 was totally maxxed out with the nav side of the course, with no more capacity to add on use of role equipment, additional thinking..............is student No2 a liabilty to the safety of the aircraft ?
Well most of them are,maxxed out that is, which is why we tend not to get them using the role equipment, but just concentrate on nav and map reading. Safety liability? No, not really, when there are two other experienced people in the aircraft. Anyway, even the most experienced observers sometimes can't see the wood from the trees when trying to find a back street in downtown Liverpool. As for controlled airspace, I wouldn't expect them to call it.
If anything this case, to me unearths a pre-course lack of selection
We used to do selection. Not allowed to anymore. Some elitist/human rights/diversity c**p.