In a pilot scheme commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills to test what impact pupil payments would have on post-16 attendance, researchers found almost six per cent more of those in full-time education were prepared to stay on.
The authors of the report estimate that when the programme is rolled out nationally in September, the proportion of young people remaining in education in Years 12 and 13 will increase by 8.3 per cent for men and 5.7 per cent for women. The Government announced last week that all 16-year-olds from households with incomes of 30,000 or less will be eligible for weekly payments of between 10 and 30 in return for commitment to their education.
Sue Middleton, director of the Centre for Research in Social Policy, one of the organisations commissioned to compile the report, said: "Urban males seemed to gain most from the pilots. The gap in participation is closing between young men and women. Previously, young men were looking for something other than education, but the allowance will encourage them to stay on."
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