The Envelope and the Examiners
An instructor has taught a 62-year-old learner for 18 months. The learner has failed the practical test twice, both times for rolling through a stop sign and hesitating at a busy roundabout. The third test is tomorrow. After today's lesson the learner hands the instructor an envelope containing CI$150 and says, 'Just tell the examiner I am ready. You know my family.' The learner's nephew is married to the instructor's cousin. The instructor believes the learner can pass on a quiet route but is not safe on the roundabout at 08:00 traffic. The learner has already paid for tomorrow's pre-test warm-up. The instructor's diary is full and a cancellation would mean a lost fee.
1. Should the instructor accept the envelope or speak to the examiner?
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No to both. Accepting CI$150 creates a conflict of interest and looks like a payment for a test outcome, even if the instructor intends to give an honest opinion. Speaking to the examiner about the learner's readiness is also improper: the examiner must assess the drive independently, and an instructor's private word can compromise the test. The family connection makes the boundary more important, not less. The instructor should return the envelope politely and say that the best help is an honest lesson, not a conversation with the examiner. If the learner insists, the instructor should document the offer and consider whether to continue teaching him.
2. The test is tomorrow. What should the instructor advise about readiness and the warm-up?
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He should separate the learner's desire from the evidence. Two failures for the same stop-sign and roundabout faults, plus hesitation in 08:00 traffic, suggest the learner is not ready for a test at that time. The instructor should say so plainly, offer a focused lesson on the roundabout and stop sign, and recommend postponing the test if the faults persist. A warm-up on test morning is useful only if it is a real lesson, not a confidence trick. If the learner insists on testing, the instructor can still provide the warm-up but must not predict a pass. The lost fee is not a reason to change the professional judgement.
3. What should be recorded in the packet?
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The packet should record the lesson content, the two recurring faults, the advice to postpone, and the fact that the learner declined. It should also record that a gift was offered and returned, without writing anything humiliating or speculative about the family. If the instructor decides to stop teaching, he should give the learner the progress record and enough notice to find another ADI. The record should be factual and dated. This protects the instructor if the learner later claims he was told he was ready.