I agree, there's some schools/instructors out there that need to be given a very wide berth. I had already done my RPL conversion a couple of years ago. That all went fine, and since then, have done quite a bit of XC in the 172. As I was coming up for my AFR, I thought now would be a good time for CSU+RG, so I went to a school at Albury for this. After multiple trips there and being told "next session will knock it over", I just had to walk. A few examples, like sitting in the plane, expecting to ask ground for airways clearance for circuit bashing, only to be told by the instructor to ask for a departure to a nearby class-G airfield, that I hadn't ever been to before, hadn't looked up in the ERSA, didn't have maps or GPS. That's some good demonstration of flight planning right there. Same instructor being paranoid about rudder use near the stall as it "will put us in a spin", and being repeatedly told to make my "mandatory" base call at the non-controlled airfield. There were enough other red flags that I just had to walk away and chalk it up as a bad experience. He did also detail why he wishes that RAAus did not ever exist, and that everyone needs real GA training.