Honey, I bribed the kids. And now they’re star pupils | Barbara Ellen

An experiment has shown that incentives paid by the state to underprivileged students yield results. And what’s so wrong with that?

In a study financed by the Education Endowment Foundation, the University of Bristol assessed the performance of 10,600 students approaching GCSEs in disadvantaged areas to see what effect financial incentives (worth up to £80 per half-term) or non-financial enticements (such as vouchers for gig tickets) would have on behaviour, schoolwork, homework and attendance.

While incentives had little effect on strong pupils, underperformers improved exam grades and pass marks by up to 10%. The intervention had particularly substantial effects on science and maths GCSE results for up to half of those involved, closing 50% of the attainment gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and other students.

I’ve dabbled myself in the dark arts of “incentivising”, though only half-heartedly, and I’d do it again

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