Christmas gifts for teachers

I'm shocked.Could it be that the Donations would be given to Charity and not Teachers? Even if that were the case I don't think amounts should be specified and it should be up to individuals if they can or want to donate.

Our school was in a very deprived area and we were often given cash at Christmas from charities to support our vulnerable children.

I would take them to the local shopping Mall and kit them out with a party outfit for the Christmas party (otherwise they would be there in their uniform) and with warm clothing such as coats and boots, as they often came to school in shoes with holes in them and thin summer jackets. They had nothing else.

One year, I spent over over £1000 in Tesco and that included a discount, the manager kindly gave me. Using my Clubcard, I then used the vouchers it generated and bought tights, socks and underwear to keep in school for emergencies.
Some parents have nothing, but to be asked to contribute that amount makes me really angry.

Yes there was a similar thread last year, about expensive gifts etc, etc. An opportunity to teacher bash, I think. All the same old, same old came out about how greedy teachers were, how Parents couldn't afford gifts, etc. The truth is schools do not expect Parents to fork out massive amounts of money to go into a kitty for teachers, (or buy expensive gifts), nor would they be allowed to demand it, either - certainly no school I ever worked in. The LA would certainly have something to say about it.

If a PTA has sent out such an email/letter they are out of order and the school will have to rescind it.

I'd be interested to see the content of the letter. Perhaps it was suggesting (and I'm only surmising here), that anyone who would normally give a gift to a teacher could, instead, if they wished to give a donation to a charity (but I stress, only if they wanted to - a school cannot force a Parent to give x amount of pounds per child to the school in lieu of a gift).

I suspect it's yet another urban myth doing the rounds.

Sorry, I meant the idea is rubbish. I was a teacher and never expected anything. What is the world coming to?

Three people all speaking rubbish?
A lot of people here seem to think that anything they've not personally experienced is rubbish, which is rubbish, really.

...or if not should be ignored.

Really?

I'm sure this is rubbish.

I believe it, if the letter’s come from the PTA. These groups at my DGS’s schools suggest £20 and £10 per child respectively as a donation to presents for teachers and other classroom staff at Christmas, and again at the end of the school year. I couldn’t disapprove more if I tried. These schools aren’t in deprived areas, but without a doubt there will be children there whose parents simply cannot afford this, or would not want to give for other reasons, and won’t want to stand out by saying so.

The school where I worked used to make it clear that presents weren’t expected, but if parents really wanted to give them, they should be up to a value of £2.

It is not a myth but true, if you chose not to believe it’s up to you. Actually as I stated it was the daughter of a friend not
friend of a friend.

Ah! The "Seeker Outers".
My grandson's junior school had those.

Sorry crossed posts Tigerdove.
I don’t mean to suggest you’re not telling the truth.

Sorry for typos

I dont think anyone said you sud, Tigerdove
But someone may have misunderstood and told you.

I still think the LA should be informed.

If it’s true it’s outrageous. I’m inclined to think maybe it’s a myth that’s been resurrected from last year and passed along.

My GC’s parents always gift generously to their teachers to show their appreciation. But I’d be appalled if they received that email.

Believe it or not it is true. The school is is Cheshire, not the posh part. I am not a new poster nor do I tell lies.

Who seeks you out, silverlining?

I think the LA should be informed as that is not ethical.

The most precious gift I can receive from a student at Christmas is a simple card written in the child’s own handwriting. Gifts bought by parents where the child is merely the means of delivery are generous but there’s not a lot of meaning in them. I wouldn’t ever accept a monetary gift from a parent or child.

That all sounds a bit weird? It's wrong to say how much would be accepted.

Indeed Miss A your memory does not fail you. As I posted before the ‘voluntary’ amounts expected per child at my GC state primary school is £25, as a gift for teachers.
Add to that a ‘voluntary’ annual school fund fee of another £25 per child. That’s £100 for my two gc.
There is nowhere to hide, they seek you out if you don’t pay up, usually publicly in the playground at the end of school. So parents pay up.

Gone are the days when I used to sit patiently painting the flowers on doylies then presenting them to the teacher before we broke up for Christmas. I think they were 1/6 a packet.

I remember giving fruit from the garden before the summer-------at no cost, or a bunch of pyrethrums from next door's garden.

£25 twice per year is the "voluntary" contribution the other person posted about.

I just don’t believe it tbh. Not without more information

Thanks Marydoll, that’s what I meant !

That's the problem, it's coming from a friend of a friend. It's not first hand information, we don't have all the information and it really doesn't matter what the school is called.

No school I have worked in would ever send out a letter like that.
I did read once of a PTA which sent a letter like that to parents.
No matter who sent the letter, the whole idea is totally unacceptable.