To not want to contribute to this madness? Christmas teacher gifting experiences

[lostintherhythagain]

DD is only 4! And not yet reception age

Her little nursery has about 15 in total who are her age.

Parents in the WhatsApp group have been discussing some people not paying up for experience day for teachers AND the staff take away

They want £15 each per family from us so the teacher and support staff can have a spa day. And then money for a take away (they’ll just give them cash in a card) for the end of Christmas school time, before they break up, to have a take away delivered as the staff don’t go home same time as the children obviously

AIBU not to contribute? I never said I’d do it. Not sure if there’s anyone else not contributing

One parent has got the teacher and her child’s TA a personalised bauble. With her DC’s face in it?!?! Utter madness

I have gifted a box of chocolates and didn’t plan to spend anymore.

We used to contribute a tenner to class rep for teacher and TA and they usually got vouchers. Never, a personalised bauble - that's so fucking weird😂

Oh no! That's such an awful present 😂

If someone gave me a bauble with their child in it I know exactly where it would go and it would be the tree! Don’t get involved in the madness, absolutely ridiculous.

Really? Never heard of that

Some orgs have gift acceptance policies, eg charities have to declare gifts over a certain value. Not sure teachers have to.

Bless you. Linking a bribery policy like anyone is denying they exist. I think the vast majority of people know what the anti bribery act is 😭

however. You are able to genuinely gift someone something without it being blackmail.

Do you somehow think just because I gift a teacher something it’s automatically blackmail?!? You need to read the definition 😭

Yes, most organisations have policies for EMPLOYEES to follow that says they should declare gifts. Note employees, not the gift givers.

This provides a record that safeguards against accusations of blackmail, which complies with the anti bribery act. Some companies dictate that certain employees can’t accept gifts over a certain value- these are often employees in positions of (real) power for whom a gift would be unusual.

policies of declaration do not mean you can not accept the gift. There are many instances where gifts do not need to be declared providing the employee themselves are satisfied that there is no intent to bribe. Even if they are declared, you do realise it’s not a big deal?! Just pop over an email and it gets added to a register.

I know that the £300 gift is no problem as some of the class parents over the years- who also contribute as parents- are also teachers or TAs in the school.

That's interesting, perhaps i missed something...I remember my kids in ks1 and never having any discussion with other mums re Christmas gifts for teachers...perhaps I wasn't paying attention. But now I hear kids bringing their teachers home made goods, vouchers, etc. Either way, I'm not planning to ever be getting anything for any of my kids teachers for Christmas...I just don't get it.

Box of chocolates every time.

You’re lucky you aren’t at international school. £50 per child for the teacher and TA.

Send them a card.
Thats it.

I'm sorry I ever got into the nonsense of teacher's gifts and class contributions.

A couple of parents in my kid's year never joined any of the 'collections'. Quite right too.
Give the money to a charity instead or tip a student waiter who is helping to put themselves through uni.

Utterly ridiculous.

£15 a head is actually insane. My kids’ school tend to do a whole-class gift for the teacher and TA and from what I can make out the contribution seems to be £5-10.

I did give quite a substantial cash gift (as well as some personal gifts for key workers) when my last child left preschool but he was the last of a bunch of siblings and cousins who had all been there so it was a final goodbye after over a decade of watching our family thrive there.

Well you are much luckier than the families I used to teach. I don't think you understand the hand to mouth lives many people live.

fellow teacher couldn’t agree more

I remember taking in presents and cards to my teachers in the 80s. I remember a pile on their chair and desk from the other children.

I guess it is in recognition of the very central role that they play in their child’s lives.

Coming from a teacher, I wouldn’t get involved. As generous as it is, it really isn’t necessary.

Yes the average at my school is £50 per child and they get John Lewis vouchers. But that’s just our school abs I understand everyone has different circumstances and preferences.

I was a teacher in the 80s and children brought presents - chocolates, flowers etc. - not the kind of thing in the OP but it isn't a new idea.

DS started a new pre school, where he attends 1 day a week. Christmas present is an “average” donation of £25 per family. 🫠

That's outrageous.

It's interesting to hear of some people giving teacher presents in the 80s.

I was at primary school in the 70s and secondary in the 80s. I moved house a couple of times so went to 2 infant schools, a junior school and a middle school before moving onto secondary.

At none of them were teachers given presents at Christmas, Easter or the end of Year.

I was genuinely shocked when I started teaching in the 90s and found that it was a thing. I thought it was a dreadful idea then and have never seen or heard anything to make me change my mind.

A card is nice but I really don't understand why people should give us presents for doing our jobs and I hate that this sometimes means pressure is put onto parents to give what they can't always afford to give.

I haven't rtft, (or not all of it) but the idea of buying teachers takeaway for the last day of term wouldn't really go well at our school, although we're often seen toiling into the wee hours throughout the year, last day of term we're racing out that door as soon as the last student has waved goodbye!

I know, I begrudgingly sent it over. I was going to send £5 thinking that’s fair, oh how wrong I was.

Do teachers really declare their £100/300 bonus if whole class did £10

my friend is a ta an tho always polite /oh wow thank you etc - she said if she gets another teacher mug or best teacher keyring she will go mad 😂

my DD school usually do a class collection via an app and then one of the parents then usually go and buy the teacher a gift card. Never more than £5 each. And they get a lovely amount to treat themselves. It hasn’t been done this year so buying a gift ourselves (which I don’t mind) but I’m definitely going to end up spending more than if I done a group collection.

my DS is 3.5 and in nursery, I’m buying his keyworkers and SENCO a Costa gift card each and some chocolates… spending a bit more but they have been amazing with my son. He’s non verbal autistic and they’ve become like family, the bond he has with the 3 of them is so lovely we would have been lost without them especially this year. They definitely deserve a special treat.