A tardy sweep is a program implemented in some schools to reduce the number of students who arrive late to class. The program involves a school-wide announcement over the PA system warning students that a tardy sweep is in progress. Teachers are then asked to lock their doors as the offenders are rounded up, collected, and taken to a designated location for processing, which is usually the cafeteria or lecture hall. Inside the processing location, tardy students are lectured, given a detention, and then sent immediately back to class. The purpose of tardy sweeps is to encourage better attendance and lower the overall tardy rate by making students more accountable for their learning and instilling a strong work ethic for their own future. However, some students and teachers have criticized the program, arguing that it is counterproductive to learning and may even push students to find ways of being sneakier.