Paying students to get good grades is one of the controversial topics of discussion in the education system. Most educators and parents agree that there is a direct relationship between school performance and rewards. Large cities like Chicago, New York, and Baltimore have tested the approach, although critics oppose it since they consider monetary compensation for academic performance a form of bribe that demeans students’ intellectual abilities. But what does the research say about the practice? According to researchers and school district leaders, the program significantly impacts students’ performance and well-being. Let us analyze reasons to pay school-going children for good grades.
- It teaches students about financial value from a tender age
As much as paying top performers shows them that good grades are important, it teaches them the value of money and how to make a budget for it. Children fond of getting monetary rewards for excellent performance in school are conscious about their financial decisions, which enables them to spend money on useful things and projects. In addition, it shows them their parents’ seriousness and commitment to ensuring they get good grades; not all individuals are willing to spend money on education, so those who do so send signals about the value of schooling by sacrificing their resources.
- It is a form of saving for the household
Although most parents consider rewarding good grades as motivation for their children, they are unaware of its contribution to the family’s financial position. Paying kids is a strategic investment that gives them extra motivation to work hard. After completing high school, high-achieving students are lucky to secure scholarship opportunities in some of the best colleges in the county and worldwide. Such merits favor top performers, while parents to the rest of the students have to pay for their university education.
In this sense, although there are numerous factors determining whether a student should be awarded a scholarship, getting good grades increases their chances of success. Therefore, parents should consider this incentive since it’s a nice monetary payout with desirable long-term results.
- Leads to financial freedom
Although most parents embrace today’s parenting philosophy that encourages them to give children whatever they ask for without working for it, some contend that young people should be given money after making some sacrifices. As a result, they compensate their kids for good grades, thus teaching them about personal finance management and financial freedom. In addition, the approach helps learners become more responsible adults.
- Paying students makes learning less stressful
Paying kids for good grades makes their academic life less stressful. Besides making it easy for parents to track learners’ progress, it helps teachers since they don’t have to contact parents due to their children’s poor performance.
- Paying students for good grades can push them beyond their comfort zone
Paying students for good grades pushes them beyond their limits. Some learners are capable of scoring good grades but put minimal effort into academics. Consequently, they score mediocre grades and never regret it. However, rewards give them a valid reason to achieve better results.
- Helps underprivileged children
Most students from poor socioeconomic backgrounds drop out of school due to financial constraints. Although some may be passionate about education, the lack of adequate finances to cater to their needs hinders them from pursuing their goals. As a result, they are forced to start working at a young age to provide for themselves and their families. Such a lifestyle makes it challenging to attend classes and score good grades. However, paying them can improve their academic performance indirectly; it helps them have basic needs like food and shelter, thus giving them energy and ample time to study.
Paying students from poor backgrounds also helps their families to make ends meet. Furthermore, providing for their families makes them feel better and work harder to get more rewards, contributing to consistently excellent performance.
- Paying students motivates them to get and maintain good grades
Paying students for good grades encourages them to work hard and maintain high academic performance. Apart from verbal appreciation, parents and teachers can use this approach to motivate children, especially those who find school work or a particular subject challenging. In addition, they can tell online homework helpers, “Do my homework” to get professional assistance.
Paying for grades: Proven strategies
Now that we have found that it’s okay to reward children for good grades let us analyze different approaches to help you attain desirable outcomes. Paying students doesn’t necessarily involve money. Rewards for good grades can be in different forms:
- Paying students to engage in activities that improve academic performance
You might also find it rewarding to pay your child to do things like reading, attending group discussions, and other activities that will eventually improve their grades. For instance, you can pick activities or subjects like Mathematics, which students aren’t particularly motivated to do, or reward them after completing a particular chapter, number of pages, or studying for a given period.
- Awarding students a dollar or two for an A
Paying students for every A is one of the most popular ways to enhance better results. If your child isn’t that good in class, you can reward them for a B. The good thing about this approach is that it can be used on different individuals; you only need to understand their capabilities.
- Holiday treats
You could motivate students by asking them to choose a holiday destination or their favorite place for a weekend getaway if they score a particular grade or improve their performance by certain points.
- Utilizing a sliding scale
A sliding scale is also one of the most effective ways to reward students for good grades. Learners have different abilities, meaning not everyone can score an A in the examinations. Therefore, parents and teachers should understand their children’s capabilities before choosing a strategy to motivate or award them.
A sliding scale can help improve academic performance in students who need extra incentives to get higher grades. You could pay your student any amount for a good grade or slight improvement; paying learners for extra efforts encourages them to do well and appreciate their progress.
The actual benefits of paying students to make good grades are promising, although they may vary from one individual to another. Parents and teachers who have used the approach attest that it increases learners’ achievements, thus an effective motivation strategy for better academic performance. However, due to the controversies surrounding the practice, it is wise for school heads and other education stakeholders to have extensive information about the initiative, opposing views, and what researchers say about its impacts. Nonetheless, based on research findings, paying students helps to improve their performance directly and indirectly.
Andrej Fedek is the creator and the one-person owner of two blogs: InterCool Studio and CareersMomentum. As an experienced marketer, he is driven by turning leads into customers with White Hat SEO techniques. Besides being a boss, he is a real team player with a great sense of equality.
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