£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!!

As a teacher it would make me uncomfortable to be given a gift worth £300+ from my class esp knowing some of the children struggle to eat over the holidays! Honestly a lovely card is the best to receive.

£3, maybe £4 per head absolutely the max. YANBU

Eat the rich. Let them subsidise normal people.

We seem to do a teacher gift AND a gift for the person who organises the teacher gift.

I think that might be pushing it a bit (because then who organise the gift for the person who organise the gift for the one who organise the teachers gift)

@OldTinHat

I haven't even bothered to read the whole thread.

No. Just no. Teachers are doing a job and are paid accordingly. They have pensions and other perks. Of course there are some lovely teachers but at the end of the day they are doing a job of work which they are paid for and receive pension contributions.

THIS is the attitude I don't understand and don't agree with.

The salary and pension are completely irrelevant. It's a thank you gift.

As a teacher I would be absolutely delighted with a spa voucher from the whole class! Say £50

Feel I should add from the other perspective as the person who has previously been in charge of organising the present! I was always mindful to use the words suggested contribution and completely appreciate that some may not wish to contribute the suggested amount. We suggested £15 last year, but that covered 2 teachers, 3 TA’s and the school cleaner who we, as a year group
, felt deserved a little something last year, particularly in light of everything she had done to keep our children safe when they were in school. I’m probably in the minority but I don’t consider £15 per child an extortionate amount to buy a present for 6 people although fully appreciate that not everyone can afford that and I was always keen to make sure that people knew it was suggested. We also have people who don’t want to / can’t afford to contribute and always write “from all the children in year …” in the card. From the other perspective, can I just add that one of the teachers at our school bought a washing machine with the vouchers she received last year, she is a single parent and wrote a wonderfully touching letter to the parents saying how grateful she was to be able to afford a replacement as hers had been broken for a long time. Not all teachers are going to buy luxury items with a voucher and I felt really pleased that we had been able to make her life a bit easier after how much she has done for us.

@kindaclassy

You are correct on one point, I don’t care about what you choose to do. I do, however, have a right to an opinion on the subject, just the same as everyone else.

Plenty of people in the public sector do wonderful work, but without any expectation of such ‘extras’.

Thanks, recognition and acknowledgment doesn’t in any way have to be given in the form of expensive gifts.

I do, however, have a right to an opinion on the subject, just the same as everyone else.

not really.

I don't judge or care what YOU decide to do or not. It's entirely up to you if you give nothing, £5 or £50.

It has nothing to do with you if I do any of the above and how I say thank you. Especially to the one person who is in charge of my kids 6 hours a day 5 days a week!

Why would it not be donate what you can? Perhaps a suggested £5/£10 but any amount is fine, suggestion just so people don't think they should be giving £20 or more. Then buy the present with how much there is.

I would write on the group chat that £15 each will make the teacher feel uncomfortable and that it should be £5 max.

Suggestion of half an hours wage per parent? Much fairer if anyone is going to start dictating amounts.

@kindaclassy

We seem to do a teacher gift AND a gift for the person who organises the teacher gift.

I think that might be pushing it a bit (because then who organise the gift for the person who organise the gift for the one who organise the teachers gift)

Well quite. Maybe they'll get me a gift for contributing to the other gifts? That'd be nice.

I'm the class rep. We do a collection at Christmas and summer. I don't suggest an amount, I just say "previously people have given between £5 and £25 and it's entirely up to you how much you want to put in and it won't go any further". Most people put in £10-£15. We are private and i ended up with £210 for the collection I just did.
The teacher got £100 case of 6 sparkling wines, afternoon tea for two and will get a copy of the Yearbook. We also got a rose for the Headteacher and I will be spending the remainder getting wine for the cooks who never get anything but are so kind to the children.

And good god no, I wouldn't expect a gift ! It was lovely be appreciated for doing the legwork but tbh I quite enjoy doing it

Can I just say that however affluent the area not everyone can afford £10 for a teacher gift. The parents themselves may appear well off but be financially committed to the hilt.
One family didn't contribute to the collection, it's not my business why. He still put his name in the card.

I was always mindful to use the words suggested contribution and completely appreciate that some may not wish to contribute the suggested amount

People read "suggested contribution" as "if you don't give £15 you are a cheapskate".
"Donate whatever you would like to and I'll buy a gift with what I have at the end" is how I phrase it.

@AppealingPeel

No teacher wants a haul of tat to throw in the bin. Homemade gifts including baked goods go in the bin mostly even during a good year never mind this year. Just put what you can into the collection.

@AppealingPeel I've seen this a couple of times on mumsnet about homemade baked gifts. I've been teaching for 14 years and in that time I've had quite a few homemade food gifts, the majority of which have been absolutely fine and no one could be as neurotic as I am about hygiene, lol! And I survived!

If something is handed to you by a child unwrapped, I wouldn't be keen. However, cakes and biscuits that you can tell have been made by the parent, that are well wrapped and presented, what's not to like?! Why waste it? I've had some lovely baked gifts and I appreciate the time those parents have taken. My favourites being some white chocolate and cranberry cookies I had one Christmas

So parents, bake a gift if you want to. Teachers WILL eat them I promise We need the sugar, lol!

Sometimes I don't bother to donate to the class gift. If the teacher has been just OK, I dont really see why I'd give money to them when they earn more than me

If the teacher has been great then I email a personal thanks and cc the head and buy them a box of chocolates.

As for the WhatsApp groups, I just mute and ignore them, they can demand all they like, why do people collectively transfer hundreds of pounds to a stranger? Odd.

It not a gift. It's a bribe.

@CatsArePeople

It not a gift. It's a bribe.

a bribe for what?

Even if the collection was made at the beginning of the year and not the end, what on earth could you bribe a primary school teacher for?

The sharpest pen? A window seat? An extra sticker? A prefect nomination?

Seems a fair amount to me, if it's supposed to be something like a tip. I'd easily tip a waiter a fiver or a tenner for couple of hours work. This is for a year of doing something much more important.

(I'm equally comfortable with the idea that "they're paid to do their job, so why tip?". But if you're going to make a gesture £15 is in no way disproportionate.)

Ours is £5 max for that very reason. 2 or 3 Teachers/TAs to buy for but £5 x 30 is £50 or £75 each.

I’ve said it before-that amount of money would fall short of corporate bribery laws in any other business or charity. At very least should be declared to the school and HMRC. Teachers are awesome and very deserving of a massive pay rise and all the gin in the world, but this isn’t the way to do it.

Buy a £1-5 gift or make something.

It’s very small minded to presume that because £15/20 isn’t a lot for you, it isn’t a lot for everyone else. It depends on a lot of different factors. If you have 3/4 kids that easily adds up and seems like a lot to spend on teacher gifts when realistically a card and a heart felt thank you for your work this year would do the same job of letting the teacher know you appreciate them.

Never done teacher presents, never will, so yep, by my standard, way too much