Two Georgia schools have begun a 15-week pilot program that pays public school students struggling in math and science $8 an hour to attend study hall four hours per week. The privately funded “Learn & Earn” initiative, an idea from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, is touted as the first of its kind in the state and one of a few similar programs nationwide. Forty students at Bear Creek Middle School and Creekside High School, both in the Atlanta suburb of Fairburn, began the program in January. The hope is that the bribes will boost students’ motivation to learn, attend class, and get better grades. Aside from the hourly wage, the eighth graders will get a $75 bonus and 11th graders $125 if they improve their math and science grades to a B and achieve certain test scores. For the older kids, that adds up to $605 for a semester of studying. While there are many opponents of the program, one university professor noted it could help poor students who need the money and otherwise might choose a minimum-wage job over studying.