Can teachers accept Monsoon vouchers as a gift from a parent?

[posyhairdresser]

Can anyone help me on this one - I would like to give dd's teacher some Monsoon vouchers for Easter. Will she be able to accept them, or is there any restriction on giving teachers cash/ vouchers?

[SoupDragon]

As a class, we give DSs teacher/assistants vouchers at Christmas and end of term.

[lowcalCOD]

no!give them bet they will be well chuffed

[Chandra]

I was about to ask you if I could teach your daughter, but you are right... there should be some mechanism to avoid teachers receiving money gifts, or at least something to made them uncomfortable and not really happy about them. At University you must report any gift received by a student, even the little gifts international students normally bring as curiosities of their countries to give to the people they want to say thanks. I think is madness... probably getting her something she may like from Monsoon may be better..

[Gwenick]

No restriction at all have a read of this I think most of it is complete nonsense - but just look at some of the gifts they recieved!

[AuntyQuated]

i would be very pleased, send 'em this way

[posyhairdresser]

Thanks very much for the advice, I will go ahead with this idea!
She is a newly qualified teacher, full of enthusiasm and is so fantastic with both the children (and the parents!) that I really would like to say thank you but I didn't want to embarrass her if it is not allowed.

[Chandra]

Great to hear is allowed!

[posyhairdresser]

Gwenick, thanks for that link - very entertaining!

[Gwenick]

your welcome - remembered it as we had a huge debate about it on another forum. I don't see what's wrong with someone buying them a huge gift if they want to. Lets face if a class of 20 children's parents get together and put £5 each into a 'kitty' to buy a present they're still going to end up with a £100 present!

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

DS1's teacher told all his year 7 pupils that he likes a little bottle of something at Christmas. Apparently he does this every year, and every year lots of year 7 boys bring in a bottle of something. It made me laugh, but so as not to upset my son I went off to Woolies, bought what looked like a bottle of champers (but was actually a plastic bottle full of celebrations), wrapped it and sent it in to school. DS1 said that when he opened the pressie he roared with laughter.

I think that vouchers are a lovely idea. Much better than yet another bottle of smellies for the bath.

[Twiglett]

I think that giving teachers monetary presents is a bit off personally

OK its easter .. get her a lovely easter egg, get the kids to make her a card

IMHO getting her vouchers will just make the next parent think 'oh gawd should I be doing that, how can I afford it?' .. it could easily spiral out of control

I think its a lovely gesture and thought but if you were one of my RL friends I would beg you not to

[posyhairdresser]

Hi Twiglett - thanks for your opinion! I don't really want to give an egg because I think she will probably get more than she can eat! I will get dd to do a card as she will like that.

I am not intending to tell any other parent that I am giving her vouchers and it's definitely not about competing for the best gift or trying to get special treatment for my child - I'm certain that our teacher is far too professional for any parent's gift to affect relationships with the children.

I just want to show my appreciation! Teachers are not highly paid and ours has a passion for clothes thus the Monsoon voucher idea - she is so wonderful with the kids it is just nice to be able to say thank you and to let her have some fun choosing something. I am also intending to give her some money for art materials for the class. Is it still a bad idea if I am not going to mention it to anyone else (other than you lovely mumsnetters)?

[Hulababy]

Think the Monsoon vouchers would be very appreciated personally. So long as you feel your child's teacher deserves it - bet she will be chuffed!

[Moomin]

god i'd lurve monsoon vouchers from a pupil! what a kind idea. imo it shows a bit of thought as it's tailored to the person herself. go for it

[Twiglett]

Well despite being a lone voice I still don't like the idea, especially not mid-year.

Maybe you could wait until the year is over and your child is no longer in their form before giving them a gift?

I agree teachers aren't paid enough but I still feel uncomfortable with the thought that there are parents out there giving more than just a token of gratitude

But it is only my opinion (and I only have a child at pre-school)

[Yorkiegirl]

Message withdrawn

[oxocube]

lucky teacher

[Yorkiegirl]

Message withdrawn

[CarrieG]

I'd be dead chuffed, personally - but mostly because it's nice to be told you're doing something right by a parent for a change!

Also, if she's an NQT, it's a very very hard year & any morale boosters can only help!

[Eowyn]

Is it usual to give teachers a gift at Easter? I'm only in recep & hadn't thought about that..

[Twiglett]

See, that's what I mean

the very fact that someone else has given a present makes other people feel like they're either not doing something they should be doing, or not doing enough

gawd its a minefield this parenting lark. I don't remember my teachers EVER getting presents from anyone

[Ellbell]

FWIW, I'd wait till the end of the year. Once your dd is no longer in her class, there can be no suspicion that you are trying to get preferential treatment for your dd (which I am SURE you are not - you sound like a lovely person, to notice and care about how hard your NQT is working with her class - but this is about perceptions more than realities). If you want to make your teacher realise how much she is appreciated then why not put a note in with the card that you get your dd to make for her for Easter, telling her just how much you appreciate the hard work she is putting in and how beneficial you think it is for not only your dd but the whole class, and that you think she is an asset to the school, etc etc etc. IMHO, you don't NEED to buy her stuff to make her realise how much she is appreciated - although you CAN do that, once it is appropriate to do so, i.e. once your dd is no longer in her class. How does that sound?

I teach in Higher Ed (i.e. mostly highly skint students - increasingly MORE skint... but that's a different rant !) and don't think I've ever received actual gifts (only when someone finished a PhD, which is a slightly different situation) but I have a stack of cards (many of them stuck to the wall in my office) that people have written me, going back lots of years, and which I really treasure. When I get really frustrated and p-ed off with the whole thing, I just have to think of the nice comments I've received, and it keeps me going. (Though if any of my students are out there and feeling flush... a Monsoon voucher on graduation would do fine!!!!!)

I think it's great that you want to show your teacher how much you appreciate her. I think that this is a question of timing, not of 'right' or 'wrong'. Does this help?

[pabla]

I would wait for the end of the year to give something like vouchers - and why not offer to arrange a collection on behalf of all the parents (non compulsory of course) to give her a really good amount? This is what we have done at our school on a few occasions. Of course, if you wanted to do something personally to thank her, that would be ok too...

I have never given dds teachers presents at Easter because I always forget! I do give them something at Christmas and the end of year is often a joint effort as I already said.

[posyhairdresser]

No one else will know that any present has been given, so it really can't put any pressure on other parents. I would imagine that holding a joint collection, even if it were non-compulsory, would put other parents under pressure though.

I am only thinking of buying £30 worth of vouchers so it's hardly worth being thought of as a bribe, surely? It really is a "token" gift - perhaps you were thinking I was meaning £200 of vouchers? could not afford that unfortunately.

And I agree that the end of year might be a good time, but I am intending to do something then as well. I just would like to give this dedicated and hard-working young teacher a bit of a boost before then, and if truth be known don't particularly want to wait until Easter, I just need some excuse!

Isn't it natural to want to express some gratitude if someone goes the extra mile with your children? After all a good teacher makes so much difference to the lives of children and their families, and is worth 50 times the pay they get IMO.

[Twiglett]

its totally your decision posy

(I was thinking you were meaning £20 actually, not even £30)