On a personal basis, I don't see figuring in the administrative "overhead" time as a "problem" at all; five hours of lecture time are more than enough, and in fact the only thing I got out of the class (and renewal) was a review of the law and some candid comments on its application in reference to established case law.G.C.Montgomery wrote: Safe storage and administrative handling procedures are a part of the curriculum . . .The State says the class may run a minimum of ten hours or up to a maximum of fifteen hours . . . a common problem with CHL classes taught in retail facilities. Many retail facilities improperly schedule the classes and do not allowing the instructor to spend much time, if any, teaching people the basics . . . For example, a retailer schedules their CHL classes from 8:30AM to 6:30PM. This is a common schedule and on the surface appears to be a ten-hour class. The problem is, students are told by the retailer to expect a one-hour break for lunch. That means the class is in fact only scheduled for nine-hours of instruction rather than the mandated ten hour minimum. The same facility generally expects instructors to fingerprint their students as well handle all notary and other paperwork. The facility will provide fingerprinting, photos and notary but that still occupies time that for the students should be spent in the lecture. And then of course, the instructor walks the students out to the range for proficiency demonstrations. In an average class of twenty or more students, all of these tasks combine to burn as much as three hours. Generally that leaves the instructor with about six hours to get through safe storage/handling procedures, non-violent dispute resolution, the penal code, where concealed carry is allow/prohibited, use of force/deadly force, and student questions. But students also must be allowed time to take the written exam and the exams have to be graded before the instructor can sign the student’s TR-100. So typically, that cuts another half-hour to and hour out of time allotted for instruction. The result is students are actually getting only about five hours of lecture time in a class mandated for ten hours.
CHL classes ought not be regarded as courses in basic administrative gun handling, marksmanship, fundamental safety (the Four Rules) etc.
As for the shooting at the Houston gun show, I see the result as a good thing - that is, the idiot hurt ONLY HIMSELF, and from the description of his injury will live to tell about it. It's a lesson in reality . . . harsh, perhaps, but a lesson nonetheless.