Le P,
Flying into Essendon via Class C, talking to tower controllers is not the same as transiting Class C talking to APP/DEP Controllers. Students need, in my opinion, to experience HDG & LVL changes & the dynamic environment that a TCU is. Every VFR clearance that I've done out of MB overhead ML has contained the above, I've never been given "planned route & level" on first contact.
Doing a shonky overfly of MB does not cut it I'm afraid. When farkups happen & CASA do an audit on a students CTA endorsement, who wears the liability?