to think this is not a great way of handling prizes?

[stealthsquiggle]

DS went to an inter-school competition thingy today. He finished 3rd, and there were 3 prizes - but instead of giving them to the top 3, the top 15 drew lots for them.

They were only token prizes, but he is steaming with the injustice of it and, TBH, although I haven't said so to him, it seems pretty rotten to me.

Is this common? AIBU?

I've never heard of it before but it sounds bloody daft

More of this namby pamby 'everyone's a winner' shite.

WT actual F?

YADNBU.

That is just bloody stupid!

What was the competition in?

that's crazy

More of this namby pamby 'everyone's a winner' shite.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Wot WorraLiberty said .

Thanks for the sanity check, all.

It was a maths competition. DS's school definitely doesn't subscribe to "everyone's a winner" but they weren't hosting it.

I am going to abandon a number of principles and buy him a prize tomorrow.

What was the point of a competition where kids finished 1st, 2nd etc, if they then just drew lots for the prizes? They might as well have done away with the competition and just had a raffle!

Bizarre. Unless the Bursar has made off with all the money, so there wasn't enough for three decent prizes, and they had to make use of the raffle prizes that the PTA was keeping carefully for the Spring Fair, or something?

There were 68 in the competition, so not quite all by luck, but close enough to be annoying.

Prizes were only maths sets (set squares & compass type ones) bit that is, of course, not the point as far as DS is concerned.

That sounds totally pointless - worst of both worlds. Why bother with prizes at all if that is how they're going to do it?

YANBU.
Either give 1st, 2nd and 3rd or give everyone a prize for taking part, but a random draw is pointless and unfair to those who won.

Tell the organisers how shit it is ..... Thy heads are so far up their backsides they don't know it is logical and what isn't. Complain otherwise they will d o it again.

so did the winner manage to get drawn out of the prize hat too? sounds ridiculous

Sounds stingy to me. Surely they could have forked out for one for each of the winners?

So - slight clarification from DS - they had to pick numbers (tombola style)

• first place got 5 chances, 2nd place 4 chances, etc - and then the rest of the top 15 got 1 chance. As it happens, first place did manage to get a prize.

Still entirely daft IMO. It was all done through school so I am not sure how I voice that opinion, but I will try.

So glad the consensus is that IANBU. I was doubting myself for a while.

That is easily the most stupid prize awarding system ever invented.

Sounds like they were trying to demonstrate some maths then, with a draw like that. I quite like it!

Well yes, Belinda, but they are Y5 and picked to represent their schools, so I don't think the probabilities of winning in a tombola are going to be a big learning point, really.

Oh yes, I'd hate it if I was only 10, fair enough! But like the idea in general as a way of demonstrating probability.

What a rip off! Poor kids. I would get him something myself...idiots.

What a ridiculous idea! I don't blame your DS for feeling aggrieved.

That is a rubbish way of giving prizes! Especially in a maths competition where it is very clear cut who has been right most often and is therefore 1st. It isn't like art or even literature where the result could be more subjective.

Well done to your DS, 3rd from schools other than his own is v.impressive.

And that is where children get discouraged to try!! what the point !!

Rubbish! And unnecessarily complicated IMO. So so many alternatives to this which would have allowed everyone to be rewarded (if that's what they wanted to do) and the top 3 to be highlighted too.

I'd buy a prize too! Don't blame you at all.