final approach technique: pitch vs power

[Piper.Classique]

It does make me wonder why we now spend weeks getting student pilots to solo standard. Has the standard changed, are people less capable, or are we (instructors) more risk averse?

Bit of more risk averse perhaps, but what about the time spent taxi-ing and waiting at the hold? Also faffing around on the radio getting r/t procedures right before first solo. I am lucky enough to teach at a quiet grass field, radio not mandatory, no-one in the tower anyway.....no waiting around, just do the checks and go. It means a lot more landings per hour. Just like when I learned to fly, really. Of course, at some point we have to take our students somewhere busy, but by then they are capable of handling the aircraft and have some spare capacity for talking and listening. Oh, and I liked the analogy of the piece of string round the neck!