Paying Students In High School

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“Why do I have to go to school?” This is a familiar complaint of many students. The typical reply from a parent. . . . “Because it’s your job!” Well if this is true, shouldn’t students be paid for doing their job?
If schools truly want students to be motivated to do well in school, then schools should be willing to pay students for their hard work. Some say that kids do not need money for motivation. They say success is its own reward. But why should students have to work for nothing? They are basically doing a job. From better graduation rates, to learning about work, to making kids smarter, there are many positive effects of paying students for good grades.

First of all, the most positive result from paying students for good grades is it results in better graduation rates from high school. Receiving this money causes students to be more motivated to come to class. One study by Johns Hopkins University researchers demonstrated that paying students for grades seemed to improve attendance among both low-achieving students and lower to middle class students (Weston). Paying students also lowers the amount of gangs, drug use, and alcohol use (Wallace). There is also a …show more content…

Success is its own reward, they said, deciding that a child’s internal drive to succeed is far more important in long run than money. While a cash incentive may give a short-term boost, its long-term effect is mixed at best. This is a viewpoint not favored by most students. Why should students work for nothing? They’re basically working a job! If they do the required work, they should get the required pay. Pay motivates students in the short term and the long term as seen in the study mentioned above by Cornell economist C. Kirabo Jackson, who found a 30% in SAT and ACT scores and an 8% rise in college-bound students when schools paid

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