I strongly believe that PPl exams should be phased during the flight training course, so that they are relevant to the stage of training.
That's fair, but the big other side is that if you get the exams done first, you can then train solidly, with no interruptions.
Admittedly most "solid" training is done in the USA, but there is no reason it can't be done here.
I have a plane-crazy 16 year old son. I was happy to fund his PPL at whatever flying rate he could physically manage - 1 flight a day or whatever. But not if he had a break of a few months, because that wastes most of your training and jacks up the costs, and is why the average UK PPL takes a year or more. He had 4 lessons and was getting on great, but showed no interest in the exams, so I pulled the plug on it. I've told him I want to see all exams passed and then he can restart next summer.
YSW is right about Europe, but if one sets things up just right, flying remains a whole load of fun (after you get off the ground
). I wouldn't stop flying for anything.
The trouble is that it is easy to end up with more hassle (on the ground) than the airborne returns one gets, and people just chuck it in. There is huge potential for ground hassle with today's airport management practices.