Tony wrote.The instructor
is then free to perform other tasks - including flying his own glider
for fun (what a concept :-).

I watched a first time solo, student deploy the spoilers and then disappear
below the cliff on the approach end to 19 at Truckee. His instructor was in the
can, taking a dump. All that was necessary to prevent this accident was for the
instructor to be watching with a hand held radio. A simple,"Close your
spoilers" would have been all it took. I think any instructor has a moral
responsibility to observe his students, especially during their first 3 solo's.
JJ Sinclair