That is the credible realistic solution. No other way to do it. It involves pain but those who cocked it up in the first place were not prepared to do the hard yards so tried to sidestep that. Once again, pilots are their own worst enemies. In the past sprog pilots were mentored and assisted by senior folks. When they were warned of the consequences of buying ratings and the long term knock on effects, the senior guys were smart mouthed and told in no uncertain terms to get lost. You're now reaping what those folks sowed.
Instructor rating is part of a natural progression, although I agree with the premise that the partially sighted leading the blind is not a good thing. However, for ab initio training it may have some benefit as new instructors probably have more insight into what newbies may be thinking. Instructor rating is not, however, a type rating on a complex type which is more than likely outside the bounds of their capabilities.
Maun still have a couple of BN2s IINM. There are operators in Moz, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania and many other places who do still use MEPs. The SEP ops are also good building blocks to instil awareness and command ability. This can be extended to MEP ops in most cases. Availability of piston twins is becoming problematic but skipping even the SEP types is not helping. A few small charter operators still use the odd Chieftain, C310/402 or Baron. Of course the huge numbers of prospective pilots who took on the profession as an alternative to a more formal career in the corporate world are not helping things.
I believe the young lady in question lost points for not following CC's belated advice. Also, I think she may have skipped even the SEP stuff and taken that short cut so popular among aspiring shiny shouldered wannabes.
J41? No thanks. The problem as mentioned before, is that pilots who can afford the rating are getting the job, not the best candidate. This makes the commander's job even more difficult as he becomes a de facto babysitter for someone who may not be ready for that position, while trying to do his own job in a safe and efficient manner. Been there and couldn't be bothered any more. Many colleagues feel the same way.