To not understand end of year gifts for teachers?

[Threecactusplants]

That time is upon us.
My DS’s class WhatsApp ‘admin’ has asked if people want to contribute towards a voucher for the teacher - suggested donation £10 each.
AIBU but the teachers are being paid for this job, they’re not doing it voluntarily.
Okay I understand if the child is leaving/in last year or the teacher is leaving.

To be honest, I haven’t been hugely impressed this year, DS’s teacher has been quite slack and we have had very little communication. He’s been happy going to school which is the main thing but I probably would have got a small card or asked him to make one. It’s only a small class of 21 so if I don’t contribute it’ll be obvious.

This is my point exactly about reaping the rewards for everyone clubbing together but the organiser gets the praise.
I agree that chocs from thirty children is a bit overkill, but it's the thought that counts, including the notes and cards that come with them.
I've always thought of this mass organisation of one big gift as a bit extra and takes the individuality away from the children.

It’s just a nice gesture and a way to say thank you/appreciation for all the hard work they do. Yes, they get paid but my dds teachers are fantastic and go that extra mile. They deserve that small token of gratitude.

We are all putting in £5/10, which will go towards vouchers spilt between the 3 teachers ( including the 2 fantastic TAs) There’s 28 kids in dds class, a few might not contribute but we should hopefully come out with a good amount,

If you don’t want to contribute op, don’t. Nobody will be bothered.

Speaking as a teacher- don't feel any pressure to contribute. There seems to have been an explosion of playground politics for primary schools, something that started as a nice gesture seems to have become a status game. Honestly the teacher won't mind/care at all if you don't want to contribute.

I also wanted to say that we do genuinely appreciate any token at all (just for the posters who said that teachers don't care), it certainly doesn't have to be anything that costs money. I have a folder containing every card I've ever been given in 16 years and sometimes I look at it and it makes me think I might make it through another year after all!

Well ive always passed on the thanks in the class whatsapp group rather than bask in the glory myself but maybe im the lone one that does. 🤷‍♀️

Edited to add, one class gift doesn't stop your child from doing a drawing or card themselves either. It just stops the 30 boxes of chocolates or 30 mugs situation.

I have worked in education for 30 years. Teachers get given lots of gifts and cards… but they wouldn’t care if they didn’t receive any!

Bribery and corruption

Oh you've made my day.

I was at a very small village primary school in the late 60s and early 70s and end of term gifts were really not a usual thing for us. When I was in the infants my Dad did once cut a rose from the bush in our garden for me to take in. The teacher was so chuffed she put it in a jam jar of water on her table for the rest of the day.

Exactly this.

I thought she might have her own bees! 😂😂 I have chickens and often give people eggs so it seemed perfectly logical to me. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Reading it again it was obviously a typo and @PlayingDevilsAdvocateisinteresting was very obviously joking.

Of course it is bribery and corruption.

I can't see how anyone doesn't see that it it bribery and corruption.

As another poster wrote

"There are strict rules and guidelines for people in public office for this very reason.
And yes buying gifts for teachers, medical practioners etc smacks of buying preferential treatment for pupils, or patients in the case of doctors and nurses."

Mak

There's a very good legal reason for it. If parents were to slip money to teachers who don't report it to seniors such as HT it becomes a huge problem. It's also safeguarding because for example if a a child is being legally kept from one parent, the parent in question can just bribe the teachers. It's about covering yourself and your organisation.

Corruption would be for example receiving expensive gifts to change a failing student's grade to an A or revealing exam papers or answers to exams before they are sat. It could also be getting a nice word in at private schools for admissions.

I am a teacher. I literally don't care if I get gifts and would never expect. The best ones I have got were really lovely homemade cards that kids had obviously put a lot of though into.

That being said a lot of years I do get about 20 boxes of chocolate and I do not like chocolate. So I think from a practical point of view and to avoid waste, it does make more sense for those wanting to club together to give a fiver each for a voucher. But people should never feel pressured to contribute.

You keep repeating the same thing but it makes absolutely no sense

What can you bribe a teacher to do? Kids are graded by public exams. Corruption. 'ill break into the AQA offices so I can mark Johnny's paper cos his mum gave me a bottle of malbec every Christmas'.

I taught for 15 years, at no point did I ever experience anything of any teacher suggesting they'd give preferential treatment because of a present by the parent. It just didn't happen.

You must live on a different planet.

To break it down simply, of how gifts are bribery and corruption.

There is a reality tv show called Dance Moms.
It is about a dance teacher and her dance students in America.

One student, Sally, was not doing well and she was not being given any dance solos in the competitiions.

Her mother paid for the dance teacher to have a massage.

The dance teacher then said to her assistant teacher

"Make sure that you give Sally a solo in the next competition!!"

So in effect, the mother had bribed the dance teacher with money.

Oh well. I'm proved wrong.

It happened on a reality show so it's definitely happening at Local Bog Standard Comp.

Come now.

Many teachers go massively over and above in all sorts of ways (as do people in other jobs). One example being residential trips. Another is holding their bladder all day. If you feel that is the case, and can afford to, then a small gift is a lovely way to show your appreciation, as is a handwritten thank you card. It is not compulsory to give a gift or donate to group gift collections.

It's not compulsory but I think it's nice. I donated to the class gift this year but am regretting it a little - only because I really value DD's teacher and atually, would very much like to giveher something more personal. It's not even from DD but more from me - I personally apprecite her efforts and her approach. I might just write her a personalised card.

Many posters have pointed out that giving gifts to teachers is bribery.

How can you not see that it it. It is plain as day.

There is a huge section in our safeguarding training manual in my UK school, that staff members are not allowed to accept gifts under any circumstances.

Secondary teacher here. I've given to class gifts at my children's primary school and have also done my own thing depending on the class rep/teacher. Most of the staff were excellent and so caring. When our youngest left nursery a few of us who had our children in for quite a lot of hours threw a BBQ to thank the staff for all they had done in helping raising our children - they were fab and a good laugh too.

I do get a few gifts from tutor group and exam classes but I don't expect anything. Every year a pupil will write something that sets me off crying - in a good way. Honestly, it is nice to know that I've made a small impact on their lives. Teaching is a thankless job a lot of the time so we really do appreciate kind words and gestures but I would never presume that gifts were coming my way! I do spend quite a lot of my own money on my tutees - end of term gifts (usually something I've made) and cards as they leave school but that's my decision and I don't have to do it.

If you want to thank the staff then do but it's not a big deal if you do or if you don't.

My DF was a teacher. They're only paid for school hours. Although I would never have contributed to a class present. Because there were LSAs, PE teachers, various other subject teachers, I used to buy tea, coffee and biscuits for the staffroom and leave them in the office.

If you say so :-)

I do

Another example as someone who works in a learning centre in Hong Kong would be getting preferential treatment over pithy parents. In the UK context that could mean getting priority admissions for siblings, extra resources denied to the rest of the class, special private tuition and sundry other privileges.
I've worked for a centre that outright banned any gifts no matter how seemingly insignificant. Others don't care.

Can I ask whether you tip your waiter or hairdresser?