OW - Pay for training or pay for cert????

[in_cavediver]

Seeing this brought up in other threads made me want to ask this question of instructors.

As an instructor, when a student signs up for your OW class, are you selling them the certification, however long it takes to complete or are you selling them the a standard OW class that most students complete in the allotted time and if successful, they recieve the certification?

When I did my basic class, the attitude was I'll work with you as long as it takes. At the same time, I heard many laments about how training was a loss leader. I mean does it make sense to give an un-prepared individual who doesn't complete his class with thier classmates a free ride into another class? At what point should the line be drawn?

I see this as somewhat paradoxical as in most other pay for education classes, success is not guarenteed. Only training is guarenteed. I have wondered why diving is different.

 

[japan-diver]

Pay should be for instruction. We give tests some people fail tests- they have to take the class over and the instructor should be paid for the extra time. I usually over some free remedial training for students who are actually trying and encounter problems, working them in with other dives going out or with free time I wiould be at the shop anyway. For those unprepared, to hung over to dive, just didn't feel like showing up- they pay. Class prices should be such that a limited amount of remedial training should be offered but if an entire class needs to be repeated the instructor should be compensated.

 

[Don Wray]

IMHO, a student that fails and cannot be brought up to speed in a certain area, should not receive a cert but I personally would give them some financial credit toward another class after a period of time in which they work on the part they failed. Once and only once. We had 2 that did not receive certs in our basic because they could not complete several skills. I do not know if they ever retook the course or not but the feeling they exspoused as they left was no more for them. They should have taken discover scuba first I think.

 

[David The Gnome]

Are we assuming they failed the written exam or the check out dives? If it's the exam, retake it, hopefully before everyone does their check out dive. If it's the check out dive they fail I'd let them come on the next available check out dive. If they fail twice I'd make them retake the course because they obviously haven't learned anything (Unless it's something simple like they can't get over breathing with their mask off). I'd say it's up to your disgression.

 

[idratherbedivin]

I semi agree with japan diver in that only students who are trying and can not do something should be given free training. In my opinion if a student fails the written test then they should be allowed to go home study their book and come back in and try the test again until they pass. Also, I think that a student should be able to come to pool sessions that aren't full and work with the instructor with a small fee for the rental gear but without having to pay for the whole class again when all they need is a little more time in the pool.

 

[Michael Schlink]

If I teach a private class then I don't quit unless the student does and I don't charge anymore. What the dive shops do are business decisions