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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think £100 voucher class Xmas gift to teacher too much?

123 replies

curiouscat · 07/12/2011 18:35

Every year we parents contribute £30 to a kitty from which the class reps organise teacher's end of term presents, maternity cards, etc. This year's class Christmas present to the teachers (3 of them for the year) is a £100 voucher each (=£300 from the kitty).

Surely this is too much? Isn't £50 plenty? It's not like it's the end of the year or anything? And aren't teachers just doing their job? And wouldn't we do better giving eg £150 to charity by halving the teacher gift?

OP posts:
SantasENormaSnob · 07/12/2011 19:39

Ridiculous.

Are teachers even allowed to accept such an expensive gift.

We aren't allowed (nhs)

neither are posties according to news t'other day.

miaowmix · 07/12/2011 19:45

We have the equivalent for our reception class teacher and TA (London state school), organised by class reps. I thought this was the norm - but all this school stuff is new to me, so maybe not...

usualsuspect · 07/12/2011 19:48

Its certainly not the norm where I live

Original poster
curiouscat · 07/12/2011 19:50

Thank you all who thought it's way too much.

I think if I were a teacher I'd be embarrassed at receiving £100 Xmas present. Yes, to natation, it's a private school, class size is 14 children. Doesn't this make the teacher's job easier than usual? Why the windfall?

What's left of the kitty at the end of the year gets held over and given to the outgoing class reps in the form of a gift, value of around £50 each I think.

It's a swizz if you ask me. The size of the kitty wasn't my choosing, but it seems to be accepted practice at the school and I don't feel able to query it or the giving to class reps huge gifts system as we're newish to the school.

OP posts:
GeorgeEliot · 07/12/2011 19:55

I don't think it's unreasonable. Much better to give the teachers a decent voucher than 30 poinsettias, boxes of ferrero rocher and scented candles.

£30 a year is £10 a term - to be divided between 3 different teachers. I would normally spend £5 to £10 on a teacher's xmas present, a couple of quid on some chocolate at easter and £5 - £10 at the end of the school year. But have been known to give £50 voucher - and that was in London state school. Primary school teachers don't get paid much and they work bloody hard.

Whateveryousaymustberight · 07/12/2011 19:57

I like it when parents show appreciation, but that only really means a nice 'thank you', and it doesn't have to wait until Christmas. I always thank people who have given good service. It just makes life nicer. But yes, that is a big gift to give. I think I might feel a bit greedy given how poor people feel right now. I don't think any teacher would expect that, although maybe it's okay if a parent doesn't feel pressured...And on the other hand, no... I'd feel weird accepting that.

Original poster
curiouscat · 07/12/2011 19:59

Flyingspaghetti was right, I'm sure that as well as the £100 joint present plenty of people will give individual presents as well.

OP posts:
slavetofilofax · 07/12/2011 20:00

So the person that stipualted the amount then gets to basically keep what is left over from what they chose not to spend on the teacher? Shock Hmm

That's unbelieveable!

But to be fair, if you can afford private school, you can afford 30 quid.

unfitmother · 07/12/2011 20:00

The class rep has a job, chief
extortioner

SauvignonBlanche · 07/12/2011 20:03

It is relevant as the assumption is that you can afford it wheras many at a state school coulds not.

(Hah, knew it was a private school, class reps have much more power).

ilovesooty · 07/12/2011 20:06

A present, if any should come from the individual.The idea that there should be a collection like this, just for doing the job is amazing. Also, I think such an amount of money might have to be declared for tax purposes.

Agree with that: and I'm a former teacher. I don't actually think teachers should be allowed to accept gifts at all - or only small personal ones from the child anyway. As someone else said: the NHS doesn't allow it. A thank you card for a job well done seems quite enough to me.

natation · 07/12/2011 20:10

£30 each parent * 14 parents = £420 for the kitty. 3 teachers receiving £100 = £300 for Christmas presents. £300 / 14 parents means £21.43 each parent on Christmas for the teachers.

Is the kitty for the whole year, because that would mean £420 - £300 = only £120 left for the rest of the year? That seems not much left really.

Now we have a little more information, yes I think a parent spending £21.43 on teachers' presents for Christmas is really excessive. We give children their "Christmas" presents on 6th December in Belgium, so our children have just received their presents and I feel I really splashed out this year and spent the equivalent of £45 per child......I couldn't then spend just under half as much on one class of teachers as I do on our own children, especially since with 4 children, I'd be doing this 4 times buying for teachers like this!

Maybe it's just I'm quite careful with money that I'd object to spending this much as a matter of course. If the teacher were exceptional, I'd be spending far more, but still I'd do this at the end of the year, not at Christmas.

Original poster
curiouscat · 07/12/2011 20:12

Sauvignon I work for a local homeless charity, and it's not fair to say it's private school so any rip off goes. I have other priorities than showing off to the class teacher or bribing class reps. I may be paying school fees but I don't have to buy into this show off stuff surely?

And I haven't even mentioned the ski trip (not going, so dd not receiving special school sweatshirt to mark the trip etc to wear in playground the week before they go) or the parents party (cough up £30 per head for lukewarm catered stew worth fiver at best, nobody says who kept the change) ...

OP posts:
Esta3GG · 07/12/2011 20:16

FFS. Teachers got nothing when I was a kid.
And they get nothing from me now I am a grown up.
If my kids decide to make them a card then that is up to them.
I really think this present giving thing is total bullshit.

MrsPeterDoherty · 07/12/2011 20:18

Madness, i have never given a teacher a gift simply for doing their job, and would definitely report this to the taxman if i knew which school it was

HarrySantaatemygoldfish · 07/12/2011 20:23

By gawd some of you are a bunch of sour faced, catsbummed faced misery guts, aren't you?

My kids teachers have been amazing this last year, one of them exceptionally so. I gave him a £50 voucher and he was delighted. I did so because he deserved it and because I wanted to. No one else knew so it was hardly about being an Alpha mum.

And whoever bleated about telling the tax man needs a slap across the chops with a wet kipper!

natation · 07/12/2011 20:26

Oh those school sweatshirts for ski trips, it really isn't necessary is it? We have a son effectively in private school now (an international one), he is transferring back to the UK state school system next year, I have bought our son a hoody for when he has represented his school in international sporting competitions, well we could never afford an individual ski trip from his school, but I really think it is rubbing it in when they do them for holidays, showing who can afford 1000 euro + for the skiing trip. Our other children go on obligatory ski residentials at the age of 10-11 as they are at Belgian state schools, I have never ever ever seen any Belgian state school children wearing sweatshirts anouncing that they have been skiing! At least the state school trips are half the price of the international school ski trips, but still, it's just boasting and even more peer pressure making sweatshirts announcing expensive school trips.

suebfg · 07/12/2011 20:28

To OP, same is happening at our school and I feel uncomfortable about it. I thought a small gift from the children would be more appropriate - that's what happened in my day.

roisin · 07/12/2011 20:30

I think single cash gifts of this size might be against school policy, and you run the risk of them being refused because of the new bribery act

natation · 07/12/2011 20:31

Harrywhohadhisgolfisheaten, there is a difference between an individual parent giving a large present and a whole class of parents being expected to contribute "large" amounts of money to make an even bigger kitty of money. That's exactly why one year I gave a large present to our son's teacher, I doubt I'll ever repeat the gesture, I'll certainly never forget what that teacher did for our son and never will he. But I would be the sour faced person if any class rep asked me for £30 towards a kitty. It seems to be more about the parents collectively making a point that they can afford the private school fees and should also have plenty of dosh to spend on their teachers too.

SantasENormaSnob · 07/12/2011 20:31

Can any teachers please clarify whether this is acceptable in the teaching profession?

I would be hauled infront of the nmc if I were to accept such a gift.

usualsuspect · 07/12/2011 20:32

'By gawd some of you are a bunch of sour faced, catsbummed faced misery guts, aren't you?'

No ,some of us can't afford £50 presents for our own DCs let alone their bloody teachers

natation · 07/12/2011 20:33

Roisin does have a point to, with mentioning bribery. The timing of such a large single cash gift could be construed as a form of bribery. It might be seen in a slightly different light, if that amount of cash was handed over at the end of the year, rather than 1/3 of the way through!

suebfg · 07/12/2011 20:34

I think there's something a bit strange about being asked to contribute a fixed amount. Surely you should contribute what you feel like contributing. Maybe it's more about the class rep on a power struggle or something ...

ilovesooty · 07/12/2011 20:34

Taking gifts is against my company's policy too: I work alongside the NHS and the criminal justice system.

As for the poster who doesn't think the taxman should be aware: taking financial gifts and failing to declare is on a par with claiming benefits fraudulently imo.