Fox3
Very many thanks for taking the time. I concur heartily.
When I was at Bawtry I had [oddly enough, and due more to geography than logic!] responsibility for the standard of teaching of Met. to all RAF aircrew except the chopper fleet. I had reasonable qualifications: 20 years "experience" almost all on RAF airfields, 3 years teaching the Nav. courses at Finningley after an appropriate GIT Course, and three years teaching in our in-house college.
"Distance Learning" [why distance? surely "distant"?] was the current magic bullet. I fought valiantly and ultimately unsuccessfully against it with regard to Met. instruction, on the grounds that, provided real teachers were trained, experienced and happy in their job, the result would be better for the customer than working through books and notes.
I was being ordered to accept responsibility for something that I thought was wrong, so lost that part of my job description. Thereafter my role was undertaken by someone totally unqualified sitting in Bracknell. The saving was about 1/2 a man at each of Leeming, Church Fenton, Linton, Finningley .... the fate of instruction at Cranwell is lost in the mist of time. The loss was incalculable.