Gifts

[Jamie49]

Can a secondary school teacher buy a pupil a gift or is this illegal?

Not illegal, but not necessarily wise!

Eg is the gift a book which will help with studies? Is teacher prepared to buy all students same gift?

Issues of favouritism shown by teachers were highlighted by a recent serious case review - google serious case review North somerset.

My son was recently bought a book by a teacher who had offered him one-to-one support in a primary setting. Book was directly related to area of study - teacher discussed gift with me, but still not sure it was the wisest thing to do as other children noticed DS being identified in this way.

Then again, perhaps I'm too cautious?

The "gift" was a mobile phone

Big no-no at our school: head has specifically said so unless its a gift for whole class, e.g. tin of chocs, etc

Mobile phone? Why would you? Is it your dc that's been given the mobile? What's the context?

The teacher first said they all gathered together and bought the phone and when i went mad and said i wasn't gonna let my 15yr old child have the phone they then said it was a gift. Would i be able to take legal action against the school/teacher for giving my child this phone?

What exactly has happened?

A teacher gave my child a mobile phone and i wasn't happy so took it off my child. When i first confronted the school i was told they'd all chipped in to buy my child this mobile, even thought my child plays up really bad in school and get loads of detentions and put into suclusion. I always thought it was illegal for a teacher to buy a child a present as this could be seen as grooming

Who is "they" who all chipped in?

What reason did the school give for these people buying your son a phone?

I don;t know if it's illegal, but it is perplexing for sure.

I would be massivly cautious about an any adult giving a child a phone, My grooming radar would be going off. I would talk to the police if any adult other than parent or family or friend gave a child a phone without parental consent.

SO IN A NUTSHELL OP GO TO THE POLICE ABOUT THIS

My dd teacher is lovely and if she gave her a gift to help boost her self esteem/confidence I think I would be ok with it. Why a phone? What is the relationship between teacher and student like? I don't know, it sounds a little odd.

The teachers apparently all chipped in, but now they are saying one teacher gave it as a gift. I don't even know why they gave him a phone, cuz his behaviour at school is very poor.

call the police OP, they are talking crap and covering up for the teacher that gave a very unwise gift and those covering up are very nieve and have no idea what they may be possibly defending.

Who told you they had all chipped in?

your sons behaviour is irelevent her OP. any teacher giving any child a phone as a gift is a warning sign of something untoward, wether that be grooming or just an unwise decission. This teacher needs to consider his actions as poor if they are derived from kindness, or on the other hand he needs to be exposed if there is any grooming, how you son behaves is of no relevence either way.

I'd speak to the head first, before you go rounding up a lynch mob or dialling 999. The whole situation is far from clear and it doesn't help jumping to conclusions. Speak to head on Monday.

Thank you for your advice, i shall ring the police tomorrow and see what they say. It was the head teacher that said some of the teachers had chipped in the mobile phone, but i'm not sure who told my mum that they'd changed it to his teacher gave him it as a gift

contacting the police would be sensible advice, it would not be rounding up a lynch mob you can also talk to the school aswell, but i would say the police was a sensible reaction. good luck Op lots of confusion here that needs to be cleared up.

Did they say why they had chipped in and bought him a phone?

This is bizarre to say the least.

Sounds distinctly dodgy. Am struggling to think of any reason why a school might furnish an individual child with a mobile phone, and considering current climate and recent cases, I would expect parent concerned to have been fully consulted and aware of the reasons.

I would contact police. In case referred to before, comments were made to school but not acted on, years of abuse only came to light when a parent went to the police. I accept that there are many times when there are innocent explanations for things, but allow the police to do their job - surely it's worth it for the rare occasion where there is an issue?