£15 per pupil for teacher present is way too much!

[Watermelon221]

We’ll just that really.

Quite prepared to be told Iabu and also I know that I don’t have to join in with the collection!

But £15 x 30 children is over £400! Even if only 20 give money it is £300!

What sort of planet are some parents on? It’s the same every year and I shouldn’t be surprised after 3 children!

Someone on the class WhatsApp group suggests a collection. Everyone agrees it’s a good idea (me included). Then some bright spark suggests everyone gives £15 (£20 was mentioned initially!). Then everyone says they’ve transferred it over and you are suddenly stuck with 3 choices:

1. Opt out and buy own present. Probably something the teacher doesn’t want or need.

1. Text and say I’m only transferring £5. (Not because I can’t afford it but because it’s plenty and only supposed to be a token gesture! But then is that fair on others who pay £15?

1. Suck it up and pay it!

Our school is in a fairly middle class area but attracts children from a fairly mixed bag of different areas. I imagine many will struggle to afford this- especially those with other kids in different year groups- is it me or is it totally tone deaf of these parents to suggest this and not just pay what you can afford? It is supposed to be a kind gesture of thanks from the class not enough to find a mini break ffs!!

I contributed though because if I was a teacher I’d probably not want tat and clutter. Will get DS to write cards too.

Surly a box of chocolates is sufficient enough

I would opt out

We nearly always buy our own and spend between £10 and £20 (I have only one to buy for). I do think its ridiculous to expect a contribution of £15 from everyone for a large gift though as I know not everyone can afford that. The one year our class clubbed together to buy a gift for the teacher the contribution was £5 each, which was more than enough.

I'm a teacher and I have to say my favourite gift was when they knew I was going to America and all the class gave me $100 (about £2.5 per child) I spent it on a NYC pandora charm and every time I look at it I'm reminded of the lovely little class!

Ours was £10 per teacher. There are two class teachers, 26 kids, so that's £260 restaurant voucher each which is crazy in my opinion. It's not like they're not doing a job they're paid for, They left out the TA, so I bought her a present on top of that.

I much prefer the parents in DC2's class, we bought the teacher a water bottle, printed with names and a thank you on it. Then they split the cost between the kids who'd signed so it was £2.70 each.

Not in UK - and here teachers are not allowed to accept gifts over a tiny minimal account as they are classed as civil servants (not sure if this also applies to private schools and nurseries).
PA collects €1 or €2 from anyone who wants to donate and buys a plant and some chocolates or similar with it, along with a card.
Anything more is just insane - it's supposed to be a token gift to show appreciation!

If you think that during the term a class teacher sees more of your child than you do 15 pounds isn't that big a deal. But if you don't want to pay it don't. Teachers certainly don't expect presents

Christ my kids just took in a card and a box of chocolates each for teachers to share in the staff room. They must think we hate them.

Anything more is just insane - it's supposed to be a token gift to show appreciation!

but the whole point of the group gift is to avoid 30 boxes of chocolates or 30 mugs.

30 token (and unwanted) gifts is such a waste, might as well get a better group gift.

It's not mandatory, but giving 1 £ to the teacher who has helped your child the entire year? It's weird, people tip more than that in Starbucks.

Give gift vouchers for school/office supplies or books. Many American and British teachers spend considerably out of pocket to equip their classrooms. A heartfelt and positive card or note as an individual gesture is also nice.

Call me a tight miserable bastard but I have 3 DCs and have never once bought a present for the teacher.

I don't understand all this angst around it.

As a teacher, I think that is way over the top. Our parents used to put in £2-£3 and that was always far too generous and I always felt really embarrassed taking the voucher. £400 is far too much!

Oh I got in to hot water with the year group once for suggesting this was unreasonable and divisive!!

Some people live in their own bubble don't they...

@allkindaclassy I don't know what you mean, my point was that everyone give 1 pound and buy ONE class present with the collected money!

Get them a nice gift. They don't get paid anywhere near enough for what they do

[quote HopeForTheBestExpectTheWorst]@allkindaclassy I don't know what you mean, my point was that everyone give 1 pound and buy ONE class present with the collected money![/quote]
i think people should give what they want.

I don't want to give just a pound to the teacher who has been supporting my kids through the year!

That is a lot, ours is usually £10 but that is for the teacher, 2 classroom assistants and some biscuits/chocs for the staff room.

DD2's class asked for £20 each this year...I did pay, though, since I didn't want DD2 to feel left out. DD1 wrote two thank you cards to teachers who have gone above and beyond which I think means much more.

Good grief! I'm in a reasonably middle class area but don't think I (or anyone else) ever gave more than £5 to collection, which usually covered teacher and TA. With a class of 30 that still worked out at £150 between them which seemed plenty!

Gosh this comes up every year. I work in Early years and although I speak for myself. I don't want a present, a card is nice, better if handmade by the child with sticky fingerprints on.

What I really want is for you to read my letters and cut me some slack when I'm having an off day and forget your child's jumper or something.

If I thought any of my parents were being pressured to give any amount to a collection I would be very upset.

Pay what you want/ can afford, not a penny more, without any comment. DO NOT offer any explanation excuse apology justification or comment whatever.

Every other normal parent will bless you and do the same.

In my youngest's class teacher gifts became a massive ball ache. One mum always arranged the gift - everyone gave what they could afford or wanted to or not at all no questions asked, she'd find out which shop the teacher liked and get a voucher. We'd all sign a card which would be handed over without ceromony. Then another mum decided because she was PTA rep she was more qualified to buy a voucher, she also decided everyone had to give the same so some people didn't get more credit having given less. Then she decided we should all gather to hand over the card in an OTT ceremony and she would give an embarrassing speach (at the beginning of the school day when the teacher was busy trying to organise the kids). That was a bloody nightmare. Luckily everyone rebelled and ended up just doing their own thing usually either just a card, a JL voucher or a tokengesture chocolate orange, gin miniature etc.

I always bought my own, no more than £5

I wonder if those proposing this have children who are younger and expect them to be in the teacher's class at some point? Hoping to influence the teacher to be kind to their little darling even if they are a brat?

Though of course if they think that they are deluded and it says a lot about them that they think such attempts at favours will ever work that way.

@kindaclassy

My friend is not doing a paid job when she invites me for dinner, and neither a hairdresser nor a nanny is paid by the state from taxpayer’s money!
I worked in Social Services - we certainly would not have been allowed to receive gifts of any sort.