I sense this may be a control issue and the FAA not trusting the CFI's with the responsibility and authority they earned. What is not so simple is to get the FAA to go along with this so the certificates can be processed in time for that 14th birthday celebration.

"You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity" Robert Heinlein

This new requirement is a result of 9/11- it just took this long for the FAA to get around to it. I suspect that no one in the FAA gave any thought to 14 yr olds soloing gliders- they're so used to power pilots soloing at 16, and very few on their birthday.

Hopefully a work around can be reached.