The Hindu Business Line : It pays to study

Schools in the US are offering money to encourage students to do well. This has expectedly evoked mixed feelings among educators, parents and the general public. An article in WSJ says: “Advocates say incentives are an effective way to motivate learning — especially among poor and minority students — and reward teaching skills. Critics argue that the programmes don’t fix underlying problems, such as crowded classrooms or sub-par s chools.”

And what about the effect on motivation? Psychologists worry that students may be less willing to learn for reasons other than money.

Blogging in The Curious Capitalist (Time magazine), Barbara Kiviet wonders about the importance of social rewards, such as the respect of teachers and parents earned by a well performing student.

In our own country, efforts to promote schooling have included free mid-day meals and livelihood options for the parents.

In many middle-class homes, of course, the “future” is dangled as the proverbial carrot to get children to study well. Do well in your studies and you will get a good job and, naturally, earn a lot of money!

Now, where does one separate the two?

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