To think MNers should make a stand and stop this competitive gift giving to primary teachers?

[LoopyLoopsCorgiPoops]

When did this nonsense begin? Is it really necessary? Just stop for crying out loud, they do get paid.

It will only get worse and worse unless people start to rein things in. AIBU to think we (MN) should change the trend?

let me get this right Pathan
my no show PTA,sports day,all forgiven if I rattle up sone tablets
aye I can do that.

Hmmmm valium or something a little more... lively? Do you match for different teachers? I have one colleague who could seriously do with chilling out: valium. Another likes to party: _

I think I might have hit a nerve

yeah your so incisive
oh and searing

It gives the Magic E of primary school a whole new dimension.

Not really. I care about the issue as I'm concerned about ethics and boundaries when working in professional settings.

It probably will stop. I work in a private school and it has been discouraged under the new ant-bribery guidelines. Some teachers were getting Chanel perfume ffs. £60k a year and 17 weeks holiday and gifts??

People are strange! Give one if you want to and if you don't want to don't-it is really simple.

nice
but a crap summation
read the thread love

as a teacher the very best gift I ever received was a truly hideous mug with a little label attached on which was written:
Thank you for learning my Tony

used the mug all year in the staff room and the label as a bookmark for years.

Same mother gave me a pair of socks the next year...

When I got chocs we used to open them and share them out before home time, that way the kids who didn't/couldn't bring anything got to join in.

The school was in a crap area and I was genuinely distressed that some of my really poor parents spent any money at all on me.

I'll be going down the one happy tablet per teacher path meself.

yeah
suddenly tablet seems what we all want
form orderly queue

I don't know many teachers on £60K a year, certainly not in primary.

LeBof there are plenty in London private schools. And some moan about how hard done by they are and they only teach 60% of the time. The forms have a deputy form tutor. FFS. It annoys me as I know how under resoursed state schools are and on crap salaries. A teacher with 1yrs experience at the age of 26 is on 40k.

In their defence they are good at what they do do, as the grades the students get are amazing. I dont begrudge the salaries as such as they have worked hard to get to where they are. But when they moan at the quality of the free coffee..it grates a little.

AND they get the state teachers' pension. Which pisses me off.

i've got a friend who is an infant teacher - she moans about the space etc all the gifts take up in her house and re gifts everything she is given.
i always think of her before i buy teachers presents and then buy accordingly.

echt you dont know the half of it. Some are ringfenced and moved sideways into admin positions so they can be in 30yrs or whatever it is continuous service so they get the max final salary pensions.

I cant even afford to pay into a pension or life insurance as I dont have enough left after mortgage and childcare. I am full time with 4 weeks holiday. It grates when they comeback after the 8 week summer break and ask if I have has a nice time off as they have been at the school for over a decade without realising that the support staff dont get 17 weeks off!! Some are lovely but some live on a different bloody planet!!

All gifts to teachers should be edible or drinkable. Or binnable without a backwards glance.

MIL received some delightfully tatty things from pupils but no sentimental attachment to them, alas too expensive to throw away so all re-housed at ours.

YANBU. When I was at school it was home made cards and things like chocolates, home baking, home produce (grew up in farming community) and perhaps small cheap teacher ornaments.

Just this past week a parent was showing off the £250 vase she had bought for the teacher and making comments about how some people don't appreciate the teacher. Now I could spend that much on a present because I do appreciate the teacher but to afford that much I would have to do no food shopping for a month or only pay the LL half the rent. I don't think either are acceptable and surely the teachers wouldn't expect that.

I am on a very limited budget and I tend to get the teachers a box of maltesers. That is really it, the smallest present I can buy. For each childs teacher and a teacher assistant, plus the playgroup staff I can't afford much more than a tenner in total. When my dd started in reception I couldn't believe the amount of presents some parents bought. For xmas also. I don't think teachers differentiate and a handwritten note of thanks would be more appreciated than anything else. I have several friends who are teachers some who have taught in some very deprived areas. They know what it is like for parents.

Steppemum, just read your post about the mug. I am in tears, that is such a lovely sweet gesture from the parent. I can see why it meant so much.

When I was a child, I LOVED it when we would sit and give our teacher her presents. Always made us feel so special, but that may have just been my teachers!

I'm surprised that parents are so competitive about it. I always chose my present for my teacher, which was usually chocolates I deemed 'fancy' or a stuffed toy I wanted. Sad that parents feel the need to 'outdo' other children, because it's the kids who suffer in parental competition.

I'll NEVER be a part of any mummy mafia. Hate it when parents become obsessed with outdoing another child's birthday etc etc.

I think when responding to my comment you should put it in context. Household's at our school are on £100,000 income at least, chucking £5 in a collection is really nothing.

What teachers really appreciate are homemade gifts from the children. My father was a Head for years and insisted that unless that was the case any other presents were all given to charity. Present giving has reached an absolutely ridiculous level. It is their JOB to teach children. They get PAID for heaven's sake!!!!! What about those governors who give up their time for free or those who help at school throughout the year for free????