certainly no need for pools in your neck of the woods. For classes like intro to tech and AN/DP, the pool is critical IMO *or pool like area*. There's no need to actually go into open water for introduction of the skills with regards to buoyancy/trim/propulsion and bottle handling. You need something like a quarry for at least a day at the end to get the skills validated with depth changes. If you don't do any pool work in those courses I seriously question your judgement as an instructor.....
I must be reading your note wrong.
If a CW session(s) can be accomplished in a real body of water, why wouldn’t an instructor take his students there?
I’m proud my CW sessions were in salt water.
I’m not against a pool session but if real water is available, I say ‘crack on’.