ALL
of the above registers are lists of training establishments
that have been inspected and approved by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).
Prior
to 1992 there was no such approved list and
finding a reputable trainer was very much a hit
and miss affair.
The
Department of Transport had a list of individuals
and establishments but none had been inspected or
approved. To be added to the list the applicant
merely had to write in and state that they were
offering training.
In
1992 the situation changed with the introduction
of the ADITE (Approved Driving Instructor
Training Establishment) register.
Training
establishments wishing to be entered on this
register must undergo a thorough inspection by a
specially trained SE (Supervising Examiner) from
the DSA who will then submit a report to a
management committee for final approval.
To
remain on the register, establishments must be
inspected every two years to ensure standards are
being maintained. A Code of Practice must be displayed,
and adhered to, by those on the register.
In
essence, the purpose of the register is to ensure
that basic minimum standards of training are
established and maintained. On the first list,
produced in 1992, there were twenty-nine
establishments. Currently there are forty-five.
The
DIARTE (Driving Instructors' Association
Recommended Training Establishment) list was
administered by the DIA - the Driving Instructors'
Association. All establishments on this list had
been satisfactorily inspected by DSA staff.
Instructor Training and Publications, and some
others, were listed on both registers.
Instructor
Training and Publications was one of the
first to be included on the DSA's list of Recommemded Training Establishments. Subsequent inspections have
all been successful and the reports may be
inspected on the premises.
In
1999 the above lists were merged to form a new
register - ORDIT (Official Register of Driving
Instructor Training).
It
was felt that the interests of both instructors
and the general public would be best served by a
single directory of suitably qualified and
inspected trainers and establishments.
When
deciding which company to go to for training, it
is worth considering whether they are on the
ORDIT list. If they're not, ask yourself - or
better still - ask them, why they aren't.
It
would seem reasonable that if standards had been
set, and a Register formed, any reputable and
forward thinking business would want to be
included. Is there any logical or real reason why
a company or individual wouldn't want to be on it?
The most recent Driving Standards Agency report (March 2000) about
Instructor Training & Publications states in its summary:
"The Training Sessions Were Well Structured
and Entirely Satisfactory"
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