to not give money or presents to any staff at my child's school

[definetlynotbored]

I refuse to contribute to staff donations, presents for teachers, staff birthdays etc etc etc.

If others want to do it thats fine. But the day I spend my money buying a present for my child's teacher (who gets paid to teach him) is the day I am in a grave.

It's completely and utterly unnecessary. Would be seen as highly inappropriate in my culture and is just silly.

I would be the first person to help anyone out in a crisis, but I don't give presents or money to class donations/teachers presents and never will and I'm not a mean person...honestly!

I'm not the only one surely? .

blackheart. Got it right this time. My circumstances are very different to yours. I have a cupboard full of crafting stuff so very little outlay. Dd and I did this for fun and pleasure. And no, it isn't a competition beteeen parents - I hate that kind of stuff. I have no idea who does and doesn't give presents. It isn't about shaming people. A couple of friends asked me what I'd done and they'd done cards. I didn't judge them. Different people, different circumstances.

No one should make you feel bad because there is something you haven't done. I didn't give food to the school foodbank collection or offerings to the Macmillan afternoon tea at school this year. I usually do. I'm chronically ill and rather overwhelmed at the moment. And I just couldn't cope.

I used to work as a teaching assistant at a school where many pupils were from poor backgrounds and the school had a policy that staff was not to be given presents by parents. I was pleased.
Think of it: how many 'best TA' mugs does a person need?

Us poor secondary teachers rarely even get a snifter of a present, so, no, those primary teachers deserve big fat diddly-squat!!

I think its stupid. And there is a great deal of pressure to contribute / provide a gift if everyone else is.

I work in the public sector. I do my job - which is hard - and a word of thanks goes a long way. I don't expect and wouldn't wish for people to buy me a gift. why are teachers different? FWIW teachers are well paid these days and lots of 'perks' because of the contracts they are on. Trust me I know.

What perks would those be?

Well paid compared to whom? Other professionals (i.e. drs, solicitors etc)? Um, no. And what perks??

No, you are not the only one.

But also, its fine if those who choose to, do so too.

I have been on both sides - receiving as a teacher (less so as secondary) and as a TA (primary so more so), and as a parent (when DD was at primary.)

However, important to point out that:

(a) teaching staff do NOT expect a gift at all, and how they teach your child is in no wear linked to the presence of a gift or not.

(b) The UK is not the only country where gifts to teaching staff is common.

(c) Teaching staff are not the only profession where gifts from customers/clients, in our case pupils and their parents, occur and are accepted.

I get the perk of buying my own paper and pens and ink for the printer and bringing them in to work, is that the kind of perk you mean Tiger?

I get free head lice!

Ooh there must be loads of people queueing up for all those perks! I wish I could work 70 hours a week for piss poor money, a shit Tory govt and abusive parents. Sounds ace!

Teaching- the only job where you actually steal stationery from home to bring into work, rather than the other way round.

Still struggling to think of any perks? Free red pens maybe? Do enlighten us, TigerLily.

Trust me I know.

Why on earth should we trust that you "know" about this?

Tigerlilly,
Teachers getting perks?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahshahahahahaha

Our teachers get start of year gifts now! It's ridiculous. I don't give, the meaning is lost now. It's not a reward or a thank you for being a good teacher as they all get armfuls regardless (am thinking of a particularly bad teacher we had).

DD did actually make her new teacher a small gift the other week (it was very good) and she took that in, she did it off her own back in her own time.

At my school there are a lot of unemployed/single parents etc and I think the school should clamp down on them spending the money tbh. Some of these parents are poor and it doesn't seem right to me, the feel pressured and it's become competitive.

Also the whole teacher gift thing is supporting the awful Facebook sellers I see.

I have a friend who teaches music in a private school - one year her gifts valued over £1k. Now that is competitive...

Your friend needed to declare that gift. Our school says teachers can't receive individual gifts worth more than £50

She does, it's why she knows what it's all worth!