Technically, of course Bose-X is right.
But I do wonder at the CFI who thinks it right to encourage a low hour, out of currency, PPL to take off into IMC with 4 adults and full fuel loaded into a PA28 140 - with almost no functioning nav. equipment. Surely he must have signed him out for the flight, so there is no question of ignorance on his part?
At best, it begs the question "what was he thinking?". At worst, what he was thinking was very bad indeed.
Of course it is right to say that, as PIC, you need to make the decisions and the buck stops with you. In this sort of instance, common sense and humanity should dictate a different outcome from the outset.