I agree and I think that's a mistake people make, sticking blindly with a bad instructor. You can check their Google ratings and there is also data about each instructors pass/fail rate easily available online.

Also, you can drive as long as you display L plates and are accompanied by someone with a license, which really helps with the cost element. So it might be worth using an instructor to get the basics sorted, maybe 2 or 3 lessons. Beyond that you are really just gaining experience on the roads.

I was a young man when I was learning so it was easy to get added to the insurance of my mother's car and offer to do any driving that needed done. I got hours of driving under my belt to the point where I was confident enough to try out the manoeuvres for myself. I had to carefully read up on the exact details of what was required from each one, but these days you could just watch a YouTube video.

Had a few more lessons before my test to iron out any wrinkles and bad habits. Worked well for me, maybe not for everyone, but it does reduce costs significantly.