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Monday, May 5, 2008
Paying kids to study
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday’s @issue included two different looks at Fulton County’s new after-school program that pays students to learn.
The Learn and Earn program targets kids who struggle in school and pays them $8 per hour to study. It even promises a bonus if kids increase their grades enough.
A Georgia State University professor took the stance that the program fails to instill long-term values. One of the people behind the program wrote money is a way to hook students into studying.
Regardless of your stance, should we be surprised this is going on? Schools already bribe kids with everything from pizza to bikes to iPods to make sure they show up. Money was the only thing school leaders had yet to dangle in front of students. And we all know plenty of parents who reward their kids with cash when they get good grades.
But does that make it right for schools to pay kids? How far are we willing to go to motivate students? What happened to the days when taking pride in getting good grades was reward enough?
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