Do kids today take education for granted? Wmtv.com states that a Charter high school near Cincinnati will pay students as part of an experiment to get more students to come to class. Seniors will be paid a $25 gift card a week and underclassmen $10 a week. A savings account will be available. $5.00 of the gift card goes into that account. The student will receive it at graduation. $40,000 a year is the estimation of private and federal dollars. This is quite a large sum. What is wrong with this picture? They are willing to pay students as an incentive to go to school and there are children in other countries that would give anything to be able to go to school.
Do children realize how blessed they are to be able to attend school? Sometimes I wonder. Paying the students as an incentive is very materialistic. Maybe there is the possibility of instilling the desire to attend school. Children in other countries have a thirst for knowledge. Do students realize the big payoff for getting a good education? I believe there are just so many other ways to encourage children for school. Should there be more mentoring roles in society? Should there be more good role models? Possibly, children can go to another country and see how the poverty-stricken children are unable to go to school? Then possibly, they could appreciate and be more encouraged to take advantage of the free schooling that America offers.
Now I do like this idea. Time.com talks about a pilot program at three vocational schools in disadvantaged suburbs of Paris. This occurred in October 2009. Two classes were set up with accounts of $3,000 a piece. Each account could reach $15,000 maximum. If the students did well with attendance and reach targeted performance the awarded money could finance a school-related project such as class trip abroad to improve foreign-language skills or possibly purchase computer equipment for the classroom. Now travel is a great way of enhancing a students learning.
Usatoday.com talks about the 46 million African children that have never set foot in a classroom. Extreme poverty and the cost of uniforms keep children out of class. These children are probably thirsting for knowledge, but are unable to get it. Yet we are starting programs in America to pay students to attend school. Children are not realizing that they only need to apply themselves and get knowledge and understanding. What are your thoughts on this?
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