I think it's outrageous that a youngster who couldn't hold a full driving licence here in the UK should be sent solo at a busy airfield when he apparently had difficulty coping with a very common situation.
I slightly resent the general assertion that 16 year olds shouldn't be sent solo. I myself went solo when I was 16 and on my third solo circuits session had to deal with lots of traffic spacing problems (usual GA scene on a Sunday afternoon: very busy uncontrolled airfield with everything from ultralights to twins wizzing round all at different speeds and some trying to do glide approaches
) involving going around at least twice, it is difficult. But it seems to me that the instructor in this case had every confidence in the boy and can't be blamed for sending him solo. From reading the report it sounded like the controller got a bit flustered and issued an odd instruction which was the main contributing factor in the accident.