To ditch the driving instructor and find a new one.

[Drsazmac]

This is a hard post to write. DD has been learning for two years and the instructor has postponed the test 3 times now. They explained to me that if one of their pupils fails or gets more than so many minors, they get investigated so they won’t put them in until they are ready to pass with 3 minors.

DD loves this instructor to bits but came back in tears today as the instructor said that they were at a loss as to how to proceed any further. DD still gets loads of minors with mirrors.

I’m wanting to try another instructor but DD is in floods of tears about this also - thinks she is a failure.

i almost think the driving instructor is trying to get rid of DD as it will make their numbers look bad.

Am I being unreasonable to think that a driving instructor shouldn’t say that DD is unteachable and reduce her to tears?

What would be the point in the instructor putting your DD in for her test when he knows she will fail? That won't do her confidence any good at all

She needs to practise more

If she's been learning for two years she has to be over 19 now. Bursting into tears because the instructor has said there is no point going for her test as she isn't a capable driver is OTT.

He isn't only teaching her to pass, he is teaching her to be safe to herself and other road users. If may be that driving isn't for her.

I'd switch instructors. It's hard at that age and her confidence is probably low if she's been learning for so long. I'd try and frame it as having fresh eyes on the problems she may have as sometimes being with the same teacher for so long can mean it's hard to see what the issues really are.

Learning to drive can be a really anxious time for a lot of people. From experience it’s a really hard knock when you fail, or get told you’re not ready yet. Especially 2 years on. It’s not an OTT reaction to be upset about it.

OP I would get another driving instructor. I was in a similar position, I moved driving instructor and passed within 2 months

Switch instructors. If she isn't ready after 2 years with the same instructor, its time to change.

I don't see the point in putting her in if he think she is going to fail....but also if after 2 years he hasnt got her to a point she can pass I think that might be a reflection on him

The whole thing about being investigated if you have someone that fails seems off.....I know plenty of people who failed on their first attempts (me included) and where with instructors. He didn't really care bar being disappointment for me and just focused on what the issues were

Edit - realised I put him for the instructor when we dont know...purely did that because I had a male instructor.

I've never heard of a driving instructor being investigated if not enough students pass. Is this driving instructor with one of the chains, like AA? They may have internal policies.
Personally, I'd move instructors, if just for a fresh set of eyes. I'd also just put her in for a test anyway, assuming you have a car she can use, and just see what happens.
2 years of lessons and no test is getting towards unusual. Have you been out practicing with her between lessons? If you're not, you probably should be.

Might also be worth looking into one of those intensive courses where they sit the test at the end. They are expensive, and a bit "teach to the test routes", but it'll get her over the hurdle.

I'd switch instructors. Nothing personal. I'm sure he is competent but his teaching style obviously doesn't suit your daughter.

I speak as someone who had over 200 hundred lessons with 5 different instructors and only passed the test on the third attempt. I can remember my instructor on the first test got a an audible ticking off from the examiner for entering me when I was nowhere near ready.

On the plus side I've been driving for 35 years with only two very minor bumps. I still hate driving though.

Switch now. It's a lot easier to switch before she's had one test than after a fail.

After just one fail, the instructors filtering out students gets worse and lots won't take on someone with even 1 fail as it makes their stats look bad.

Edited to add: I guess cos they assume you are likely to fail at least once more.

Very annoying because one of the worst drivers I know passed first time but in one of those areas with very high pass rates.

What kind of minors with mirrors?

I failed four tests and my instructor was never investigated. He was baffled at my fails because I never did those mistakes in lessons and was happy to support me for as long as needed. I changed the instructor after moving. I can't say there was much difference in what he was teaching me but he was teaching specifically to the test i.e. we spent 8 weeks driving test routes so I knew exactly where we were going and there were no surprises. And he would only accept me booking a test in one specific center and advised the first slot of the day as these, apparently, have higher pass rates and are also slightly shorter due to morning traffic.
To your daughter, it is actually much much better to take your time learning and not rush to take a test. My cousin is in a different country where the school is linked to a test center and they book you in pretty much as soon as you start learning. After you fail 3 times, they allow you to take more lessons then re-take the test and so on. This is designed to take your money and nothing else. My poor cousin had 9 attempts before they allowed her to pass. She nearly gave up on the whole idea but desperately needed to learn to drive as her husband was about to be deployed and she had an elderly mum living in a village. Some people are known to just pay the money to the test center to avoid the whole circus. Not a good system at all. I much prefer to delay the test and be properly competent on a road.

I failed twice with one instructor. He (must have) thought I was ready and maybe I was just unlucky on the day but I switched teachers and passed next time. My son recently passed his test - he was learning with one guy but he never thought he was ready for a test so he switched and two months later passed first time.
She may 'love' this guy but after two years why isn't she ready? I'd definitely encourage her to change teachers.

It takes 12 weeks to learn to drive in the US. I don’t understand taking two years to do it. Change instructirs. They have each gotten too comfortable with each other and she is no longer learning.

In lots of areas of the UK, the pass mark is 45%, so it can take ages, years, to pass in the UK. And with all those people failing and having to retake, funnily enough there aren't enough tests so that takes ages, years, to get a test booked anyway.
Add in the bots booking up tests, the reselling of tests, it's a very hard place to get a driving licence, and strangely road safety isn't that much better than anywhere else, just the life chances of young people are held back and dodgy people in the test system make a lot of money.

I know I'm late to this post but my experience was I passed 5th time. After 3 fails my instructor did cash only lessons, off the books of the online booking system. Still did tests with him and paid as normal. I think it does make their record worse if you fail the test, though I never heard about too many minors being a problem. My instructor was benevolent though and never told me off, just a positive coaching style throughout - which his what he said they are all meant to be doing now in line with guidance. For your situation I would really try to talk to DD and instructor about her common mistakes and try to work on it in your own car while supervising in safer areas. I would argue that this instructor is taking the piss as well, it is not your job to keep their record spotless. He should be a better teacher if he wants that record. Bit the test is a pressured environment and easier to make mistakes on. Try to really work on her mistakes for now (in own car) and go from there.