This is the only setting I've not been able to easily find. I actually have a harder time in KDE4 with their kcontrol replacement. I did notice that same replacement among the TDE packages in Debian. If they prefer that over kcontrol, try letting them try it in TDE.
Please, please, please, nobody change the layout of KControl. I love the tree view. If anybody changes the view layout to that of KDE4's System Settings then make the tree view the default. Please, please, please...
Darrell