Nishko,
I wasn't saying that distance learning is a poor relation at all. It is a simple fact however that if a person is able to spend all day studying without the distraction of work they are likely to find is easier than a person who works 9 'til 5 then has to fit 3 hours study in every evening. Obviously this will take its toll on most.
You assume that a person will have full-time hours available. My assumption was that most people choose the distance-learning option precisely because they aren't able to dedicate themselves full-time. If a person can dedicate themselves full-time to a distance learning course then I agree, they have every chance of completing the course as successfully as a residential person.
My comment was simply to compare full-time and part-time learning. I was not comparing residential courses with distance-learning courses and did not intend to diss any distance-learning establishments. Sorry that this was the way it was perceived.
TB