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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:
Esta3GG · 07/12/2011 20:36

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

Not at all.
Just staggered that so many people are sucked into this idiotic fashion for giving valuable gifts to teachers.
Why isn't a note telling them how grateful you are enough?

My ex is a teacher and he donates everything he gets to charity shops because he finds the whole thing so repellent. We have a theory that it is the frustrated mummies who secretly want to jump his bones that give the most. The ones who buy him after shave definitely want to give him one. Grin

yellowraincoat · 07/12/2011 20:37

I teach (in the adult education sector, sometimes teenagers, but not mainstream) and I love getting presents. But presents like a card, a picture, a photo frame and yes, even those silly things that say "best teacher". When it's been thought about, I keep it forever. The best thing I ever got was a letter from a girl saying I had changed how she felt about growing up.

I once taught a group of Russian kids who brought things over from Russia to hand out at the end of their stay. To be honest, that meant less, cos they hadn't even met me when they bought their stuff, so there was no personal feeling attached to it, if you know what I mean.

I think it's the same principle with a voucher. Of course I'd like £100, who wouldn't? But it wouldn't mean anything, and I wouldn't remember it in years to come.

JamieComeHome · 07/12/2011 20:38

Teachers I know, would, I suspect be very embarrassed by such large amounts of money.

JennyPiccolo · 07/12/2011 20:39

It can't be bribery if it's from everyone though, can it? If one parent were to give £100 then yes, inappropriate.

I think it's a lot but it's what everyone's agreed to and you must've thought it was okay to put money in in the first place.

A compromise could be to give £50 voucher for amazon/boots/whatever for the teacher's personal use, and another £50 voucher for hobbycraft or a teaching supply type place. MyMIL is a teacher and spends quite a bit of her own cash on teaching supplies, so that would be appreciated, and also it goes back to the kids next year.

JamieComeHome · 07/12/2011 20:39

Also, good point about CAs, TAs and CAs.

Some TAs work across classrooms, so the parents aren't all that aware of them or what they do. They get paid peanuts as well

JamieComeHome · 07/12/2011 20:40

sorry, CAs TAs and LSAs

OhCobblers · 07/12/2011 20:42

I'm just entering this area as DC1 is now in Reception Confused

Its been suggested that a collection will be done for a voucher for the teacher and TA and we're to give whatever we like or bow out and do our own thing - all very fair but i have no idea who is going to give to the collection or how much.

My budget stipulates £15 in total for both (what i gave at their Nursery but that was across 3 people) - does that sound fair (to those of you that actually give a present Grin)? I don't want to be tight but at the same time its more than i've spent on my best mate this Xmas!!

Get0rf · 07/12/2011 20:44

Blimey! That is extraordinary. £100 for a teacher is an awful lot.

I don't want to come across as a twat for asking this, but are teachers allowed to accept montery gifts of this value? I have worked in public and private sector (not as a teacher admittedly, but with an outwardly facing role) and I would have been forbidden to have accepted so much money. Mind you I suppose anything goes at a private school.

Shouldn't a gift for a teacher be a token gift?

I would feel very uncomfortable about this tbh. It is ridiculously extravagant and rather tasteless imo.

Class reps my arse

Get0rf · 07/12/2011 20:44

monetary

slavetofilofax · 07/12/2011 20:54

I've been given £50 in vouchers when working in a private nursery in the past, and we were allowed to accept presents. I love getting teacher presents, but then I love it even more when I get a chopped up piece of paper with a tiny bit of glitter stck to half a bottle of glue accompanied by a little voice saying 'I made this for you Mrs xx' Xmas Smile

hellhasnofury · 07/12/2011 20:55

GetOrf. No the school I work in would not allow a teacher to accept a gift of that level.

EldonAve · 07/12/2011 20:59

If you're not happy OP then either refuse to contribute or become class rep and change stuff

Our class teacher is probably getting about £100 in vouchers from the class whip round - similar for the TAs

clopper · 07/12/2011 21:03

Nothing like this in my school, perhaps a couple of bars of chocolate but I don't teach in an affluent area. It's nice to get a card with a personal message though. It always astounds me when I read on here about these high value gifts. As a teacher I would be embarrassed to receive them for doing the job I am paid to do.

Hulababy · 07/12/2011 21:06

DD's class teacher ends up with about that amount. Noone is forced to contribute, noone is made to feel bad if they don't. The amount given is entirely up to the individual. Yes it adds up - but if that is what people have decided to give, so be it.

Yes, teachers are doing their job. But some, many infact, do care and go over and above what the basic role involves. Why not show our appreciation if we want to.

Other people get gifts too.

Hulababy · 07/12/2011 21:11

Yesm they can accept. The Postman thing on the news actually said they can accept individual gifts of up to £30, after that they should declare. A class gift is just the gift from each indidivual - so say £3 something per child, equally £100 in total. Yes, they can accept that as the vouchers will be coming from 30 indidivuals - less than £30 per child, if using the postman ruling.

Morloth · 07/12/2011 21:28

Sounds OK to me but that could be because we have just given our teacher a $200 voucher, 20 kids @ $10 each.

Ours is end of year and Christmas together though.

Xmasbaby11 · 07/12/2011 21:31

30 a year is tons! I wouldn't pay that much. 10 would be about my limit.

But now the money is there, it has to go to the teacher really. Lucky him/her!

noblegiraffe · 07/12/2011 21:39

All those of you spending a fortune on presents for your kid's primary school teacher - don't forget to even just thank your kid's secondary school teachers when your kid gets good GCSE results.

We work hard too.

EcoLady · 07/12/2011 21:48

My son has 2 teachers (job share), a TA who specialises in reading (he's on School Action) and 3 other TAs who do different days and times. How would a kitty get split up across this sort of set-up? I'd much rather give small personal gifts to the staff that my DCs chose to give to.

The TA who does his reading, has the patience of an absolute saint and has worked miracles with him this term is getting decent bubbly! Xmas Smile.

HomeEcoGnomist · 07/12/2011 22:21

We've just had this - DS1 started in Reception this September. He has 4 teaching staff that are being collected for at £1.50/person, so a £6 donation. Which is fine. The bit I really objected to is the Class Rep - who has embraced her role with the zeal of the convert. Last year, this self same Rep would loudly tell anyone who would listen that she wasn't putting anything in the collection because she'd got some half price biscuits, and that would have to be good enough. This year, we all risk a public humiliation if we don't join in. She's got too much time on her hands...

I am finding school to be a very expensive experience, with all the fundraising, afterschool activities you have to pay for, lost items of uniform etc etc! And it's a state school!

Harecare · 07/12/2011 22:32

ohcobblers your post sums up why people give cash to teachers - "is it reasonable?" you're wondering how others will regard you. Your post also answers your question "it's more than I'm giving to my best friend".

I will pay to charities associated with school etc, but the teacher is not a charity, nor a friend or family member, so nothing from me is perfectly reasonable. Others may think I'm tight, but I try not to base my decisions on what others think of me.

scaryteacher · 07/12/2011 22:33

'I admit one year to giving our son's teacher a 200 euro gift voucher which took her and partner away for the weekend'

Bloody hell Natation - I should have put 20 euro needed on the tutor group envelopes! Any ideas for our joint tutor whilst we're at it? Have a pretty bauble so far and am running out of inspiration and time!

MrsHarryPearce · 07/12/2011 22:39

Surely a gift for a teacher should come from the child and be sort of proportionate? So if a 6 year old wants to give his teacher a sort of 6 year old scale present (bar of chocolate, book, xmas decoration etc etc) that he has chosen, done the whole 'pay the lady' thing, wrapped up and given (a la John Lewis) then that is what it is about. As soon as the whole thing is hijacked by class reps and kitties and £100 quid stuff then it just becomes transactional. I know teachers may get a whole load of tat x 30 but so what. It is about the giving after all.

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 07/12/2011 22:48

What the hell is a class rep?

I only have a preschooler at the moment, what is this horror awaiting me?

suebfg · 07/12/2011 22:49

'Noone is forced to contribute, noone is made to feel bad if they don't'

They might not admit it but I think some people do feel pressurised into conforming and contributing where they would actually prefer not to.

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