The C 152 is a much better trainer than the C 172 IMO. It is easy to fly but harder to fly well and its lower performance means that you have to fly the wing not the engine.
As for glass cockpit...well not for ab initio. When I taught full time I always tried to get the c 152 Aerobat. It had no gyro instruments to distract the student
and when things got boring and you had the right student, you could liven up the lesson with a loop and a roll.
