An apple for the teacher.

Galaxy

I have no idea why this is permitted in education. My background is social care, there were very good reasons why there were strict guidelines around individual gifts from families.

Absolutely.

No state school worth attending would permit lavish gifts and would make it clear that a thank you (written or verbal) would be the most appreciated thing.

Certainly not an organised collection that people feel obliged to contribute to😱😱😱

The Head and Governors should have put a stop to that as soon as it was mooted.

Private schools are probably different.

I liked the presents that the children had chosen themselves because they spotted the things I liked: cats, book tokens, some kitchen utensils, a jar of cherries 'you like eating them', chocolate, likewise, coffee and coffee mugs, pens, 'you lose them', and desk tidy (nuff said). I still have a collection of sea-washed pieces of glass collected from the beach, because 'green is your favourite colour'.

It made me realise how closely they observe you.

With regard to presents, I and many other teachers, TAs and dinner ladies also gave the children a small gift each at Christmas, Easter and the end of term. I used to bake small cakes and biscuits, hence the 'you like cooking'.

nanna8

Years ago, when I left , I was expecting our first child and those kids, rough as guts, gave me lovely hand knitted baby clothes and little things for the newborn. It brought tears to my eyes.

I got knitted things for my baby when I left on maternity leave. The most poignant was in a very poor area I got a half-eaten toffee bar. The mum explained the child had saved their pocket money for it and couldn't resist on the way to school.
The other was many years ago after a very tough teaching practice the class had a whip around and I got a box of Maltesers. The teacher said she had collected more for me than all the black babies in an African orphanage they supported.
I did give a donation to their African collection.
Expensive presents mean nothing it's the little things that touch. The homemade card or biscuits or bubble bath that has been decanted into a smaller bottle. It has all gone too far.
I wonder how parents will feel this year after all the strikes and having to take days off themselves and the food banks.

I have no idea why this is permitted in education. My background is social care, there were very good reasons why there were strict guidelines around individual gifts from families.

I’m still working and I don’t ‘expect’ to receive a gift just for doing my job. A verbal thank you is polite, a card very welcome and IF a parent chooses to offer a small gift I accept with profuse thanks. I certainly wouldn’t look for an expensive experience gift and I’ve never been offered anything like that in 25 years of teaching.

Years ago, when I left , I was expecting our first child and those kids, rough as guts, gave me lovely hand knitted baby clothes and little things for the newborn. It brought tears to my eyes.

Sorry for seeming a Scrooge but I think it should be banned it became a competition when my grandkids were in primary with mothers trying to out do others with really expensive presents luckily my daughter didn’t play into it and got just a small something
It’s like tipping unless the culture is to do it to everyone who does anything for you then I think it’s unfair
Nurses aren’t allowed to receive gifts (unless it’s changed recently) so why teachers ?

Juliet27

I believe parents often club together nowadays to buy a more expensive gift such as those mentioned.

Yes, like John Lewis vouchers. It makes sense. Plus a personal little homemade item if the child wants to.

Classes club together and donations can add up to anywhere 300 and 500

The class rep who organises this and sends out notices through the year typically gets a gift too made from donations adding up to between 100 and 150...

It can be quite draining for parents with multiple children and quite overwhelming as a TA (although very appreciated).

It's got me thinking about the end of year now, I'm going to miss them so much

DH received a new set of golf clubs once!

Before I retired, we were instructed to refuse any gift worth over £10. It was never an issue really, as I taught in a secondary school, and gifts weren't as common. I did receive some lovely gifts from my tutor class when I retired. One girl, who I never taught but had dealings with in my role as second in command, when she heard I was retiring, rushed to the nearest shop and bought me a box of sweets. That gift meant a huge amount to me because she had very little herself.

I once had a box of allotment grown vegetables as an end of year gift from a family. What a lovely present, especially as I knew the child that I taught had been involved in the creation of it; I was less enamoured of a gift from one mum of a framed photograph of her son..

DS is a primary school teacher. What he most appreciates receiving is home made cards from the pupils and letters of appreciation from the parents. Boxes of chocolates, bottles of wine and cycling gloves are nice but pretty meaningless.

I believe parents often club together nowadays to buy a more expensive gift such as those mentioned.