Jorgen Hansen discusses the impact of working while in school for teenagers

The number of high school students working is increasing, with school teachers and administrators reporting that some of their students work as much as 25 hours a week during the school year. In a radio interview with CBC’s Radio Noon, Dr. Hansen discusses the findings of his research on how on average, the impact of working part-time was negative for Grade 10 high schoolers. While it is difficult to determine if work is the only criterion affecting school performance negatively, the effect was clear for Grade 10 students, but became less so for Grade 11 part-time workers. American data had shown positive effects for students working part-time, such as developing a work ethics, professional discipline, and punctuality. Other studies contradict these findings, and have shown that working part-time may take students away from their homework and preparing for the next day.