Is this a good idea or not?

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/now/school-to-pay-students-to-be-in-class

Quote :

School to pay students to be in class



Posted: 02/14/2012
By: Rebecca Thomas By: Rebecca Thomas

A high school in Cincinnati struggling with poor attendance is paying students to go to class and behave.

The $40,000 incentive program began yesterday.

And, the school's CEO says class attendance was already up 15-percent compared to last Friday.

Students will be given $10 and $25 Visa gift cards for showing up everyday to school...being in class on time and not getting into trouble.

The school will also put $5 into a savings account for each student who earns a gift card.

School officials point out 90-percent of its students live in poverty.

Their thought money is important to them.

And, if students aren't in class, they can't be taught.

We are talking about a school that's designated an "academic emergency" where only about 14-percent of students graduated last year.

What's your take on this?

Is bribing students really going to boost attendance and the graduation rate in the long run?

It's a bad idea to pay people for doing things that they should be doing on their own anyway, but it will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Nice that the school has that kind of money to spare. Can't help wondering if they're in the bandwagon with the rest of our nation's schools to cry about being under-funded.

But like Supernova wrote, we'll see how it results. This is actually what's being done in Brazil on a much higher scale. I don't know what the parameters are, but Brazil's President has issued a program to pay poor families to keep their kids in school. His idea to decrease some of the poverty through education. If I'm still around to see it I'll be interested to find out how this plan will transpire.

Why do we have to pay them to be in class? If they don't want to come, then let them stay home.

Stupid idea.

Whatever works. Dont see how this can survive the long haul tho.

It might work initially, but I don't think the results would be favorable in the long run. Bottom line: you have to want to get an education.