Turning to the bigger picture, I would like to shy away from too much standardisation. I don't want the CAA (or even my CFI) telling me that we should do crosswind landings one particular way; I don't want to be forced to use Point-and-Power; I don't want SCA to be the prescribed VFR navigation technique. I want to be able to show my student pilots all the various tools in the box and let him/her decide which ones they are going to use.
I agree but we need standards about what the tool box consists of and also standards as well about whats acceptable. I think we both know what is in the tool box and are both happy if the pilot uses one of the accepted methods to do a paticular exercise. The problem that is an issue is that there are loads of instructors out there that don't have the complete toolbox of methods. The student has to change their method of operation to the particular instructors perversion and fad idea about what is the correct method.
There are regional fads around the country, some areas stick extra speed onto approach for gusts others don't. Some like this point, think putting flaps out in the turn is the height of bad airmanship. Others have bizarre checklists for every stage of flight. Some even do stalls differently but thankfully the CAA has actually done something about this in the instructor seminars to try and get it sorted. But I suspect that there will be some die hard CFI's out there that will not do the methods advocated in the seminars. They will stick to the method that they have done for the last 20 years. There mate that does thier FIE and FI renewals will never pick them up on it. There are schools out there that teach to power out of a fully developed stall holding attitude. How the students mange to get by a test I don't know I presume the CFI that dictates that method is the examiner or none of them manage it so the nose drops and the examiner thinks they are doing it properly.