Why our kids don't study

by Owen, John D

Why do American students put less effort into school than those in almost any other industrialized country? The answer, suggests labor economist John Owen, is a startlingly simple matter of economic incentives. For most students, he contends, studying hard is literally not worth the trouble. Owen explains that for high school graduates without a college diploma or specialized skills, getting a good job depends largely on how well they do in the employment interview - not on how well they did in school. Even for the college-bound, incentives are limited, as many colleges accept students based on their ability to pay rather than their academic standings. Owen's proposed remedies for this situation include: encouraging employers to use high school grades, disciplinary records, and other credentials to rank applicants for good jobs; independent examinations at the national or regional level - also made available to employers - that measure academic and other achievements; an Americanized v