Jock, I see what you're saying... The training is an extension of the FAA syllabus from private pilot, where GRM (Gound Reference Maneuvers) are used to show the effect of wind on the aircraft, in relation to it's position over the ground. It's used at the basic level to fly a rectangular pattern, and account for the wind.
The sort of thing you probably do without thinking about it nowadays, as it's hard wired in there due to experience. It's good for giving students an appreciation of how the wind affects position, and all seems pretty basic, but is actually quite a decent excercise. Compared to the EASA PPL syllabus which doesn't cover any of it, so you get students flying wonky circuits when there's a decent amount of drift, and pulling the power back and getting stupidly slow before they turn base if they're rocketing along downwind with 20kts up the chuff in their C150. Sure they figure it out eventually, but a couple of hours prior practicing turns around a point, and rectangular patterns does help as the building blocks are there and there is some appreciation of being able to fly along and position themselves in relation to ground features.