Should Kids Get Paid for Their Grades?
An average high school sophomore went to school yesterday knowing that they had a test during second hour for algebra II. This average high school student studied what they thought was “good enough”. When they got the test back today they received a 92%, and as promised when they got home they got the $10, that they were promised for their results on the test.
Another scenario, Another high school sophomore in the same class with the same test, studied for two hours every day for a week to prepare for this test. When the students receive the results on the test, this student receives a 73%. This high school student when home sad hearted that their efforts failed for a grade that was almost barely passing. They got home and received praise forthe effort of doing the best work they could possibly do. These scenario’s make me question should kids get paid to have good grades? Many people believe that kids should get paid because you work at school, you work at your job, you learn at school and you learn at a job, so if you get paid at your job why not get paid for your grades.
Why get paid now when that doesn’t give a student the incentive to try to get an amazing scholarship that might pay for all four years, books, housing, and food. Students should be trying to do well to get into college, so if they get paid while in school what gives them that extra push to try harder and get all A’s or A’s and B’s like me? Personally I think paying kids and bribing them to make certain grades is not wise for in the future. If parents start bribing their kids to try harder they are paying their kid for something that is already common knowledge especially to get into a good college. When I was conducting my studies some one made the point of “Kids should not be getting money for their grades. It is like giving animals food for pooping. They would not be learning to learn, they would only do it for the money.
..”A student at Christ Episcopal School, making this argument about how paying us kids to have good grades is thebest idea and as some one mentioned, we get more into the money then our studies and cram ourselves until we cant think straight studying all night long, just to forget all the hour of work we put into just the cram method of studying just for good grades? No, but sometimes we have to make a point clear to our parents that as long as we try out hardest and do our best work that we can do, it should be enough for them to be proud of your effort and not the grade earned. As I was conducting my research I received 84.61% saying “no” for kids getting paid for their grades. The other 15.
39% had reasons behind their answers of “it gives kids the motivation to be better and to learn”, I as a student myself, I see where they are coming from and I get it, but in all actuality paying kids for their grades doesn’t show any excitement in the wanting to learn and succeed in school section of every child’s life. I was reading an article by The New York Times on “Why you shouldn’t pay children for grades” by Amy McCready, she stated that “Money can’t buy smarts motivation or school success” I agree with her, by being a kid that got paid for her grades and having problems and setting these “rewards” as my milestones to try harder but when I set this plan, I failed big time, I started missing assignments and then getting really lost and not know how to ask for help when I needed it. Being paid for something you should already want to do is kinda silly and it makes me question the work put in for these “things” you are trying to get a good grade on. When I was talking to some of my fellow classmates one stated no because “it’s the child’s job, they will get paid later in life, and if you get paid in something you should already be doing, there is no point to the reward.” Yes going to school is any kids job along with their grades and work ethic, no they do not get paid in a tangible reward, but every child that goes to school gets paid in knowledge that will help them along the way to their life goal of being a doctor or interior designer, knowledge gets people places.
Ways we can fix these minimal problems for this generations knowledge and success, is by parents, emphasize the action not the grade, your child may study for two hours every day for a week for an upcoming test and fail, but you mention the effort they exerted to try and do well on the test. To add some responsibility on your middle schooler or higher elementary student, I suggest setting up a “no rescue plan”, so if they forget something, you as the parent, will not go back and get it, because it is your child’s responsibility to make sure they have everything they need for school before they get in the car or bus in the morning. A “no rescue plan” meaning you set ground rules saying that once you leave the house you will not go home and get something that your child has forgotten. The “no rescue plan” teaches kids about responsibility and ownership, I personally think this plan should be enacted when your kid is in the highest grade of elementary school or the lowest grade of middle school. Starting that early can help your kid later in life when they get to write major reports and have papers to analyze reading material that is essential to their grades in a certain class or assignment.
Bringing up those two high school sophomores I mentioned earlier, the one that got paid ended up on the exam getting a 46% because they did not remember any of the information because they did so good on the tests that they thought they understood the material. The one that got reward for their effort on studying for the test ended up on the exam getting a 99% because even though almost failing a couple of their tests they ended up determined “to do better” and succeeded.
