Tuesday, 23 September 2014

So, Bribery Is The Future?

Primary school pupils are to be given toys for good behaviour. The new scheme at Estcourt Primary, Mersey Primary and Craven Primary allows students to earn vouchers for good behaviour and taking part in school activities.
They can then use those vouchers to buy treats from Toys 'R' Us.
*gobsmacked*
Nikki Leslie, a co-ordinator at Estcourt Primary and Mersey Primary, said the scheme will encourage children to take part in school life.
"Pupils earn credits for things like always having their PE kit or opening a door for a member of staff," she said. "It's not just based on behaviour though. Every child will be given the chance to earn credits.
"This is something new that we have never done before, but we think it has a lot of potential."
Shouldn’t kids be brought up to do these things as a matter of course, and not for the reward?

Or am I just hopelessly out of touch?

20 comments:

  1. I recall that a system like this was operated in a Sunday School in the book "Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. So not such a new idea really. Maybe the school will come up with an idea to get their fences painted.

    Stonyground

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  2. They shouldn't get rewards for good behaviour, they should get a sharp slap for bad behaviour.

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  3. A slight amendment needed. Each parent has to depot a £1000 bond per kid before the start of term, and if said kids are mouthy or badly-behaved, money is deducted to pay for the toys for other kids. At the end of term, parents get back whatever's left after their kid's infractions (if any) have been paid for. Simples!

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    1. Now that is a cracking notion.

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  4. XX "Pupils earn credits for things like always having their PE kit XX

    :-D :-D

    That would have been me out then.

    I held the county record for NEVER having participated in a P.E lesson.

    I mean from my first school day to my last!

    Books and reading were MUCH more interesting.

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  5. And let's not forget beer and women........

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  6. Bribing kids to behave and to have manners, what the fuck? My Mother only needed to shoot me one of THOSE looks and I would behave, instantly.

    We're fucking doomed.

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  7. Well, it worked for the Scottish voters.

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  8. And what the purple hell is a 'co-ordinator' at a primary school in any case?

    Back when I was at school we had teachers, pupils and a janitor. It seemed to work.

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  9. "Every child will be given the chance to earn credits."

    Oh! Didn't take long for this initiative to unravel did it? It's already sounding like the modern school sports day... you're not encouraged to win, and you get a ribbon even if you come last.

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  10. My 17yo daughter says that she has encountered such schemes during her time at school. She pointed out that if you were a model pupil for your entire stay at school, from reception class to when you left, you might have earned enough credits to buy a keyring.

    Stonyground

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  11. It was, I suppose, inevitable; take away the stick as motivation and all you have left is in increasing pile of carrots.

    Since Kipling fell into serious disfavour among the nation's educators, the concept of Danegeld appears to have been completely forgotten.

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  12. I remember now why the first Polish builders were revelatory: they arrived and did the job unlike their British counterparts who needed coaxing with tea and praise to get them in the mood.

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  13. "An increasing pile of carrots"

    That's no way to speak about the children

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  14. XX Since Kipling fell into serious disfavour among the nation's educators XX

    Quite, even though he DOES make exceedingly good cakes.

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  15. Or am I just hopelessly out of touch?

    Yes, you are. Cherish that feeling, it's a sign that you're hanging on to your sanity.

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  16. AA
    Anonymous said...

    I remember now why the first Polish builders were revelatory: they arrived and did the job
    24 September 2014 11:04 XX

    Aye, they did that with the school at the back of our house as well. Withing two years they had to demolish what they had "built" and use REAL workers, cups of tea or not, to renew the whole thing. The Polish firm had buggered off back to their scumy holes accross the border and could not be touched.

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  17. The guys at freakonomics tried this some time ago:

    http://freakonomics.com/2012/06/26/bribing-kids-to-try-on-tests/

    I recall them saying you need to incentivise them at a younger age and in the right way - so who knows in this case.

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  18. "Maybe the school will come up with an idea to get their fences painted."

    Heh!

    "A slight amendment needed. Each parent has to depot a £1000 bond per kid before the start of term..."

    Awesome idea!

    "My Mother only needed to shoot me one of THOSE looks and I would behave, instantly. "

    Ditto!

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  19. "Oh! Didn't take long for this initiative to unravel did it?"

    Quite! THERE MUST BE NO DIFFERENCES!

    "Since Kipling fell into serious disfavour among the nation's educators, the concept of Danegeld appears to have been completely forgotten."

    Worse - it appears to now be SOP!

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