Do Teachers get more Xmas gifts than TAs

[FestiveBiscuits]

My DS has started school this year and has a great teacher and also quite a few TAs in the class. Some are one to ones for child who need them but others are there for all the kids.

One of the mums has started a collection on Facebook so they each get a voucher rather than lots of gifts they may not want.

All well and good so far, but t this mum wants to give a bigger amount to the Teacher, say around £70 and £5 to each TA.

In the past with my older children collections have been split equally and I feel a bit like this is an insult to the TAs who work hard too.

So is she unreasonable or does the Teacher deserve a much bigger gift?

We're doing equal amounts for TA & teacher, those who want to contribute it's £10 for both so they'' end up with £150each if all 30 families contribute!

DS has only done one year so far. I'm a teacher, so decided to buy something of benefit to the team... this Christmas it's a lovely set of different coloured board pens. (At the start of term, DS was having difficulty with the board, snd she wondered if it was the pens running out) Last summer it was a winding pencil sharpener- his teacher was thrilled!

1:1s are paid extra to support the child with SEN. They spend their time with that said child and although interact with other children, their time is focused on the SEN child. 5 TAs is a lot. It's probably 1/2 class TAs and 3 1:1s to help their individual child.

Well not everyone will participate it's very much voluntary & pressure free and teacher is leaving too so a bit more than usual.
Assume they are allowed to accept, parents organising have been involved in the school for donkey's years & if they're allowed to accept 30 x champagne, wine, chocs etc what's the difference?
I'm happy to participate and as I say it's entirely voluntary. Loads of people did their own thing at the end of summer term.

The TA in dd's reception class does plenty and deserves an equal gift IMO. She's just as likely to have read with dd and updated dd's reading diary. She's with dd's class everyday and involved in the activities (there's a class blog with pics and she's always there).

Its the TA who cleaned dd up and comforted her when she had a bad fall. Its the TA who called to reassure me.

I think for the sake of appearances it's best to give them equal consideration. The teacher will without a doubt do more work than the TA (that's why so many TAs are ex-teachers: workload) but if you were buying leaving presents for two people at work you wouldn't weigh up their roles and responsibilities, you'd just buy the presents! And I'm a teacher so as biased as it gets

We tend to do a 60/40 split. And wing it for the regular cover/PE, but everyone gets something.

I'm not a lover of putting money in a pot, if I chose to buy a gift then I'll take my son with me to chose chocolates or wine. I do not like the peer pressure and the whole collection process. I know it makes me sound grumpy but my son enjoys picking a present and I can chose my budget appropriate to what I have at the time. E.g. A bit flush=nice wine, a bit skinny=small box of chocolates.

In regards to the split I say 60/40 teachers do a hell of a lot outside of school hours.

We always get the teacher and the TA gifts each. We dont do a collection at our school and many parents take in small gifts to teachers and TAs. I wouldnt feel right giving to one and not the other as the TA does a lot of work with the kids plus supervising playground. Its a small school so maybe thats different.

Not sure if my son has had one specific TA this year (teachers and TA's have come and gone a lot this year) but the last regular one gave lots of support to both my kids and did afterschool stuff too so deserved a gift as much as the teacher.

We dont get extravegant or commercialised 'teacher gifts' just a small but personal thing we have put together or bought for each one. I remember the first year when ds gave the TA her Xmas present she thanked me the next day and seemed very surprised and greatful that we did it! I was shocked as she did loads with the kids and all the kids loved her!

Its also custom here to give a box of biccies or choc for the staff room again probably as its a small school and we know all the staff from head to dinner lady to cleaners. Just nice to give a small thank you for all their hard work throughout the year.

I think £70 for a teacher and £5 for a TA is massively insulting. You dont have to spend loads on a gift to make it personal and special but if you are giving money thats been collected from all the parents then it needs to be fairer than that.