[quote Jellycatspyjamas]@whattodo2019 because the school are being strict about Covid regulations and not bringing stuff from home into school. Knowing the head teacher as I do, she’ll consider her staff to be doing their job in “working their arses off” and will also be trying to curb excessive gift giving - the school is in a very mixed catchment, for every parent that can afford a gift there will be another who is literally on the bones of their arse. I imagine she won’t want children to feel upset that they can’t give a gift or parents to stretch very limited household budgets on gifts for her staff who are well paid for the job they do. Covid is a good way of putting the brakes on.
If every one of those 16 parents put even £10 into a John Lewis voucher the teacher gets £160 (or £320 if they all give £20), that’s a huge gift by any standard. For some of our parents £10 is nothing, for others it’s a good part of their weekly food bill. While I’ve always been happy to give a gift to my kids teachers I can see the wider issues and am happy to follow the schools lead on this.
What about parents who can’t afford, the teachers hopefully still worked their arse off, and the work is still valued.[/quote]
I agree with you, and think £10-£20 each is ridiculous!
I have given £5 in the past and even this tends to be £100 ! When people suggest £10 each I just say I’ve already bought something.
It’s not that we can’t afford it, it’s that I don’t agree with it, it’s way OTT. I tend to let my dc choose a very little something and write a card with a personal message.
In some schools this gift giving becomes competitive, like parents want to buy their kids success. It’s cringey.