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?

YANBU

Lol, easily one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. YANBU

I will get him something today, but it won't be the same... Poor DS - one of the reasons I wanted to sense-check my reaction is that DS has a bit of an ishoo about prizes - he always does well (in all things academic, at least) but is never quite the best at the end of the day (by which I mean he seems to finish 2nd or 3rd a lot) - and I know from past attempts that rewards from Mummy and Daddy (for great reports, excellent effort grades, great exam results...) just don't "count" when your friends are collecting prizes at speech day .

Hell. In. A. Handcart.

Confabs to your DS :)

stealth was he the best from his school?

Ali - yes. He thinks his teacher has a certificate, which hopefully will get presented by the head (in front of the rest of the school) at some point in the next week - which will be the most important thing by far for DS.

Oh well that is brilliant - but also he can feel first among his own peer group which is always nice

I hope his school do recognise him somehow, I think it is so important that academic achievement is properly applauded.

I remember at school it used to wind me up that you could 'win' at sport, but then when it came to academic achievement it wasn't allowed.

So you can win the competition, but getting a prize is just the luck of the draw? It's so bizarre you have to think somebody maybe misunderstood the instructions, that couldn't surely be an actual, thought out policy? Could it?