Would you sponsor a teenager to stay in school?

Ray Palmer · 30-01-2013 04:50PM #1

I was talk to some friends who work in social services and we discussed how hard some teenagers in deprived areas have it. Parents with no respect for education, substance abuse etc. ..
So we discussed if we sponsored a kid to stay in school would it work. The feeling was it would work with 10% and maybe up to 20%. After knowing what happened to many of my own class mates I think it would have helped them.
Maybe 150-200 month. I'd do myself if there was a structure to do it. If a tax break to do it even better. Is it all too bleeding heart liberal thinking?

MadsL · 30-01-2013 04:52PM

Can I subscribe you your service? Also how hot would said teenager be?

copeyhagen · 30-01-2013 04:52PM

fook that, we all went through school without it.

Dravokivich · 30-01-2013 04:53PM

The problem isn't always with getting them to school. There were a lot of other students in my class during leaving cert years who just acted out and pricked about.

D1stant · 30-01-2013 04:54PM

Why?

Why would they be leaving school?

Why is it my problem they are poorly raised?

Why is it my responsability to make their lives a sucess?

BillyMitchel · 30-01-2013 04:54PM

Not the worst idea, could work. I'd volunteer for something like this.

fangee · 30-01-2013 04:55PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I was talk to some friends who work in social services and we discussed how hard some teenagers in deprived areas have it. Parents with no respect for education, substance abuse etc. ..
So we discussed if we sponsored a kid to stay in school would it work. The feeling was it would work with 10% and maybe up to 20%. After knowing what happened to many of my own class mates I think it would have helped them.
Maybe 150-200 month. I'd do myself if there was a structure to do it. If a tax break to do it even better. Is it all too bleeding heart liberal thinking?

I suggest you do the time warp but focus mainly on the step to the right.

roast · 30-01-2013 04:56PM

It'd be great to give kids a figure to look up to and motivate them if their parents aren't paying attention, but on the other hand this gives said parents even more motive not to give a fuck.

Rented Mule · 30-01-2013 05:00PM

Kids don't need money to stay in school.

I'd say that they could use mentors more so than sponsors. There are enough people with their hands out in this country as it is at this point. There is no point in enabling another generation of at-risk kids.

Ray Palmer · 30-01-2013 05:05PM

D1stant wrote: »

Why?

Why would they be leaving school?

Why is it my problem they are poorly raised?

Why is it my responsability to make their lives a sucess?

It becomes your problem when they become adults with no education. The guy breaking into your house or mugging you isn't likely to have their leaving cert.

If you got no encouragement from family to stay in school you aren't likely to stay. That is even without active discouragement which many experience.

My old headmaster in primary school told me that you can pretty much tell what the kids are going to be like as adults the first day in school.

Have you never seen The Wire?

Why is anything your problem?

J_E · 30-01-2013 05:10PM

There are already mentoring services out there I believe that you can volunteer for, if you're interested. I know there is one running in Limerick anyway.

HTML5! · 30-01-2013 05:10PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

It becomes your problem when they become adults with no education. The guy breaking into your house or mugging you isn't likely to have their leaving cert.

If you got no encouragement from family to stay in school you aren't likely to stay. That is even without active discouragement which many experience.

My old headmaster in primary school told me that you can pretty much tell what the kids are going to be like as adults the first day in school.

Have you never seen The Wire?

Why is anything your problem?

Encouragement does not mean money.

I would absolutely not sponsor a kid to stay in school.

However, I may sponsor a programme which paid for mentor's to work in the school system with these kids.

Give teenagers money to stay in school - ridiculous.

Also, your old headmaster sounds like a bit of a tool.

D1stant · 30-01-2013 05:12PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

It becomes your problem when they become adults with no education. The guy breaking into your house or mugging you isn't likely to have their leaving cert.

If you got no encouragement from family to stay in school you aren't likely to stay. That is even without active discouragement which many experience.

My old headmaster in primary school told me that you can pretty much tell what the kids are going to be like as adults the first day in school.

Have you never seen The Wire?

Why is anything your problem?

Oh so you pay upfront not to be mugged later in life.... usnt that what taxes and policing are about?

So where would the money go. Who is it paid to and for what purpose

2nd level education is free. If a teenager cant see the benefit of education then they are a lost cause already - I think your old headmaster might agree

My problems start and end with supporting my familly and friends

Sorry. Well intentioned but daft idea IMHO

Ray Palmer · 30-01-2013 05:21PM

Some people are obviously unaware some countries do pay to keep children in school.

I pay my taxes for lots of things which fail to materialise. Having some compassion for other people isn't some horrendous thing.

I am not suggesting everyone pays either it is up to the individual.

And yes paying more on education to spend less on prisons certainly is not crazy.

As for your family is your responsibility and others be damned it is exactly the same view a thief has. You have I need

Jericho. · 30-01-2013 05:24PM

Why not just make child benefit dependent on school attendance?

D1stant · 30-01-2013 05:25PM

Jericho. wrote: »

Why not just make child benefit dependent on school attendance?

Great idea

Czarcasm · 30-01-2013 06:44PM

I'd pay for a third level scholarship to ENCOURAGE students to work towards a goal, this idea of paying them just to attend school is ridiculous because it'll only set their sights as far as the day they can join the social welfare queue for what they see as more "free money".

Richard Hillman · 30-01-2013 06:54PM

Id sponsor a teenager to keep them in prison.

Ray Palmer · 30-01-2013 08:11PM

Czarcasm wrote: »

I'd pay for a third level scholarship to ENCOURAGE students to work towards a goal, this idea of paying them just to attend school is ridiculous because it'll only set their sights as far as the day they can join the social welfare queue for what they see as more "free money".

I think you may be aiming a higher level than the people I am talking about. It would also be selective and specifically for the people who are trying to get out of the poverty trap.
Not sure you understand that you tend to go along with your social class and family. Very hard to fight all of that and also be able to afford it financially

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 30-01-2013 08:15PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I was talk to some friends who work in social services and we discussed how hard some teenagers in deprived areas have it. Parents with no respect for education, substance abuse etc. ..
So we discussed if we sponsored a kid to stay in school would it work. The feeling was it would work with 10% and maybe up to 20%. After knowing what happened to many of my own class mates I think it would have helped them.
Maybe 150-200 month. I'd do myself if there was a structure to do it. If a tax break to do it even better. Is it all too bleeding heart liberal thinking?

If the kid wanted to stay in school, yes. If not, no. I'd sponsor him to do soemthing else.

CreepingDeath · 30-01-2013 08:24PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I was talk to some friends who work in social services and we discussed how hard some teenagers in deprived areas have it. Parents with no respect for education, substance abuse etc. ..
So we discussed if we sponsored a kid to stay in school would it work.

Some large companies have corporate social responsibility programmes, where they fund local schools and the like.

I know of one company which runs a sort of "Dragons Den" type of programme for the local schools, getting them to form teams and compete in various projects. They win prizes and some college sponsorship if they win.
It gets them to work on something meaningful outside of the classroom environment.

There's so many large multinationals in Ireland availing of our corporate tax rate, they should really give a little back to the community instead of just channelling funds through an office.

wolfpawnat · 30-01-2013 08:33PM

A lot of those who don't want to go to school are the children of the Social Welfare Class. Not the newly unemployed since 2007/2008 but the long term actual spongers, cut the parents SW if their kids aren't attending and attempting school, they will all be top of the class within four weeks.

Chemical Burn · 30-01-2013 08:41PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Is it all too bleeding heart liberal thinking?

Yes

Czarcasm · 30-01-2013 08:43PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I think you may be aiming a higher level than the people I am talking about. It would also be selective and specifically for the people who are trying to get out of the poverty trap.
Not sure you understand that you tend to go along with your social class and family. Very hard to fight all of that and also be able to afford it financially

I understand it all too well Ray tbh, having moved out of home mid term in 5th year myself and finishing my second level education while holding down a full time job in Supermacs at the same time to pay my rent and bills and save for my third level fees. I received no maintenance grants, etc as any grant applications were based on my parents income, which I did not wish to be assessed upon. So I also paid my own way through third level by holding down various jobs in bars and so on as I couldn't transfer internally in Supermacs.

A scholarship of some sort would have certainly eased one aspect of my third level education.

I know the idea of the proposal in your OP comes off the back of similar proposals being put forward in Britain, but imho it's only going to encourage lazy students to go through the motions of turning up for roll call and then have them possibly entertain themselves by disrupting the class for the day, making it harder for the students that actually WANT to be there and WANT to go further than a basic second level education.

Perhaps if we REALLY wanted to introduce an incentivised monetary rewards scheme (nothing like teaching a child that bribery gets results!), but if we HAVE to introduce one, then I would suggest monthly assessments, and if the student got a pass rate in their assessment of 85%+, then they would get paid, otherwise- knuckle down and try harder next month.

Pottler · 30-01-2013 08:45PM

Teenagers in Malta get paid to stay in school. By the State. Just saying like. And it works, by all accounts. Mess about or don't attend, your allowance gets cut. Does tend to focus the mind..

Cavehill Red · 30-01-2013 08:45PM

Would I sponsor a child to go to school?
I already did. I sent my kid to a private college.

CreepingDeath · 30-01-2013 08:47PM

Pottler wrote: »

Teenagers in Malta get paid to stay in school.

Pottler · 30-01-2013 09:02PM

CreepingDeath wrote: »

<Insert bag of maltesers joke here>

It did cross my mind to stick one in to pre-empt that, but I thought that would be a bit obvious. Also, they don't like it, the Maltese, it makes them cross.

LoocyLoo · 30-01-2013 09:34PM

Jericho. wrote: »

Why not just make child benefit dependent on school attendance?

What about home-schoolers though?

TheBody · 30-01-2013 09:39PM

Don't kids get paid to go to Youthreach?

Solobally8 · 30-01-2013 09:43PM

TheBody wrote: »

Don't kids get paid to go to Youthreach?

Beat me to it!

We are already paying for over 5000 teenagers to go to school in Youthreach

Would you sponsor a teenager to stay in school?

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