I think you misinterperet the light hearted nature of the reply! The particular student in question is a very festidious fellow and applies the same thorough attitude to all of his flying training including the groundschool, I anticipate he will finish his licence in close to minimum hours. The more serious "instructor hat on" part of my reply refers to the confidence building aspect of allowing the student more experience of the aeroplane without the instructor on board. I remember during my basic training being told to check the aeroplane out and start it made me feel empowered and trusted by the instructor. In my short time in the industry I have not met a lazy instructor yet, I refer you to the "Search for the UK's Poorest Paid FI" thread in the instructor forum! We need to work for us livin'!