Some good points.
Firstly, personally I would be more likely to grant a zone transit to a student pilot (although I rarely refuse them) as I would consider the implications of refusing to the in-cockpit workload (I am an experienced PPL BTW). Whilst when I'm planning a zone transit I always have a route around the zone planned (and in the GPS!!) I would not expect this of a student PPL-similarly I would be less likely, like I said in the original post to bring the student through on a route that wasnt requested as I know fuill well that picking a trasck that you have been taken off (without a GPS/radial or good line feature) is bloody hard work!!! In such an instance I would hold the a/c outside the zone, explain the situation and then allow it through on its planned track when traffic allowed. Also being about as GA friendly as an ATCO's come I would endeavour (its all subject to workload) to monitor the progres on radar for as long as possible. If you didn't tell me you were a student PPL the chances are that (as I don't work at a LARS unit) at the zone boundary outbound you would get "squawk 7000 continue with en route frequency"!!
As far as tyro is concerned, as I understand it this means inexperienced, not just student (as I believe its a military term generally only used in emergency situations; "tyro pan" for example") so don't see why this couldn't be used by anyone newly qualified who didn't feel particularly confident.
FFF your point is very valid. I think the compromise would be to not announce yourself as a student unless you found yourself out of your depth when you could explain to the controller that you are a student pilot and could you have clarification. I am well aware from my flying that some ATCO's particularly with regard to zone transits give some pretty nefarious clearances that leave me wondering whether or not it constituted clearance to enter controlled airspace; its no wonder rthat student PPL non-ATCO's sometimes get confused.
Good discussion though. This is what pprune is about isn't it????