Rewards for GCSE results

[mumblechum]

Am currently in shock at the stuff ds's mates are supposedly going to "earn" for good GCSE results.

Friend A is going to get a two seater sports car, fully insured if he gets good results (he's been failing in the last six months, so I can kind of see the point in bribing him as a last ditch attempt to avoid resits)

friend B is getting £200 for every A*, £100 for every A, £75 for Bs, and losing £75 for anything below a B. As he's taking 12 GCSE and is a good worker (these lads are all grammar school boys btw so more than capable of getting straight As), his parents could easily be paying out £2,400 in August.

I just think these are a bit mental. I haven't offered anything to ds, as I think the results are their own reward, but would probably scrape up a couple of hundred if he gets outstanding results, but that would look really crap compared to what his friends are getting.

Maybe this should be in AIBU not to chuck thousands of pounds at ds in these circs...

My DS is being rewarded for A stars and A's. It is a large amount but it is money he will need to use for Uni or a car and money he would have received anyway. He has already said he wants to buy a Mac book and the rest will be put away.

DS1 was lazy, we are all into bribery in this house :) whatever it takes for them not to flush their futures down the toilet is good with me.

What happened to a good education and exam passes being their own reward? If kids think that they deserve huge gifts for every success they're in for a big shock in the real world!

It is not 'every success'. if they don't do well at GCSE they may not get into their 6th form or on to their choice of course. Looking at the cost of Uni fees coming in they will need all the help we can give them.

And when they don't get into the course of their choice, that will be just the shock some of them need to get their finger out! As a teacher, I am sick of dragging kids through exam courses where I do far more work thanthey do.

secondhandrose, if it's money he would have received anyway, don't you think he'll see through the ruse and it will be rather pointless?

No as he doesn't know that.

We never gave rewards for results but I invented the concept of the "revision present". If the kids did as much revision as we thought they should then they got a present of their choosing (we set the upper limit). Gets them into the habit of revising!

I like the concept of a revision present but remember that three hours revising is not the same as three hours' revision!

It will only work until the first time one of your children doesn't achieve their target grades and gets the money anyway - perhaps not even that long as mostly they're clever enough to gauge what mum & dad are good for imo.

The revision present worked for ours right the way through secondary school. We made sure revision was done properly and was active - and was not just sitting in front of the books thinking about something else.

this last part was sadly me but my teacher rather than parents