Sorry Australia! Our modern aircrew are poorly trained because the real experience (the old and bold on both sides of the cockpit door) have been replaced with children with degrees who know everything they studied at uni....um what was THEIR pass mark for their courses... 50%... That equates to only knowing half their stuff and a lot of that stuff is total flag waving bulldust to appease the pollies and public.
You are very much mistaken my friend. I have seen first hand at recurrent training the more experienced crew nearly brought to tears from nerves about their impending exams. These "more experienced crew" tend to study for these exams much longer than most and many just barely scrape through. Having said that, so do some of the younger crew.
We are all trained to the same standards and the recurrent training is very strict.
Some people absorb and retain information better than others.
You have no real knowledge of our industry and no right to make such sweeping statements.
I will say however, I agree with paxing crew and off duty crew given priority with regard to o/w exits as this makes sense and has been a bug bear of mine for quite some time.
In this instance it is the airlines giving way to safety over pax comfort.