If only it were a windup...... I heard of this the other week and thought it couldn't be true but alas I was proven wrong.
It's bad enough if the school is implementing this to make a bit of extra cash but even worse if they think it as actually a good idea and beneficial to a students' progress through flying training!
Somehow me thinks that the instructors will end up wondering why their student never looks out the cockpit while "actually" flying and then go back and supervise another one in the Sim!