Hours
M & M
I doubt whether the JAA candidate does finish with more experience than the NPPL applicant. What I don't think you understand is that the NPPL requires 22 hours dual plus 10 hours solo totaling 32 hours. The JAA/UK requires 25 hours dual plus 10 hours solo totaling 35 hours. A difference in training of just 3 hours.
But the JAA pilot must have done sufficient Radio Navigation training to pass the Skill Test (no minimum hours set) and have done 1 hour longer flying solo navigation and that is the only difference in hours. The rest of the training and syllabus element minima is exactly the same!
However the JAA PPL applicant must have a minimum of 45 hours experience as a pilot of aeroplanes. If they can't claim credits from other types of flying then the extra ten hours is usually taken up by the pre-solo time bashing the circuit, revising weak points and Skill Test preparation, which is just the same for the NPPL. I always recommend that our NPPL students do the same QXC (a few extra minutes) as the JAA PPL student which makes any later upgrade simpler and cheaper.
Unless the new student is not able to meet the JAA medical requirements I do stress to them from the onset that they might as well go the whole hog and gain the JAA PPL first, perhaps change to NPPL later.
The majority of NPPL holders have migrated from Microlites, SLMG and gliders because the NPPL offers considerable exemptions to them. Many will already be UK/PPL holders. In all these cases they will already be very experienced pilots and many will be qualified flying instructors.
You both sound like you weren't around at the birth of the NPPL and perhaps remain unaware of the angry debates surrounding the onset of JAA and therefore the true purpose of the NPPL. The advantages with regard to costs are different from what you both appear to understand.