An apple for the teacher.

Ethelwashere1

At one time my daughters school used to raffle the teachers gifts. The school funds benefited . Best way

I don’t understand your post. Sorry.

At one time my daughters school used to raffle the teachers gifts. The school funds benefited . Best way

So, pressure put on parents and children to contribute money, (someone will have to co ordinate it) which won't resolve the issue of those who can't /don't want to, contribute.

Anything rather than let teachers receive gifts.

This was a topic of conversation with some friends last week. I have friends who are school teachers .I know that some of them have made suggestions in the past instead of gifts choose a charity and a small donation is made by each child to that charity. This saves receiving some unwanted gifts ( however well meant.?) it also helps to save competition for the best gift. It would release pressure on some parents who are already struggling in these difficult times.

When a teacher is leaving a gift may be in order but even in volunteering you are not allowed to accept gifts.

My teaching days were all in special schools. Children all came by Council transport, from all over the borough, and we rarely if ever met their parents, some of whom had been pupils of the school a decade before. . Many of our children were non-verbal and few would be aware that it was the end of term, let alone their last day with that teacher or that school. End of term presents were unknown. Into my 80s now I absolutely treasure the few cards made for me by leavers and they will be the last thing I dispose of when I finally de-clutter my home.

I know of someone who works in medical insurance and regularly gets large gifts, (restaurant vouchers, gym passes, hampers etc.) from satisfied customers. I wonder why?

Where my kids went to school it was less common with individual teacher gifts and parents clubbed together - usually £2-3 per child

Yes, this has turned into a nasty and personal thread.

Mollygo

LRavenscroft

What is wrong with a thank you card written by the child? With the cost of living rising, I imagine a lot of families will be struggling to pay bills and don't need extra unnecessary costs.

Does anyone disagree with that? I don’t. Endless accounts on here about being happy with a card, a note, or a small gift.
Has anyone mentioned being offended by parents/children not offering anything? Of course not. It’s not an expectation.
I do think the sums quoted in the OP were ridiculous.
Do you agree with parents / people being told what they must/must not do, especially for the benefit of others?
Does that apply to every thing and everyone?
It worked well with mask wearing during Covid. Even GNs were adamant that they weren’t going to wear masks just because they were told to do so, even if it was thought to benefit others.

Your post reminded me of an incident I read about a couple of weeks ago of a group of pupils being taken away for a residential, by several teachers. Not one of them got a verbal thank you from a parent or child, much less a card.

(For the uninitiated, taking pupils away usually means the last kid settles after midnight, and the early risers are up just after 5am!)

Good marketing strategy by the hotel.

I agree. Not just hotels, but several "experience" type companies suggest expensive presents for teachers ... cookery day courses, flower arranging workshops, spa treatments etc. They must think teachers deserve to be pampered after keeping a classful of children in order on a daily basis for a year!! Too right!

My DH and I have worked in several independent schools over the years and seen a range of expensive gifts like Harrods hampers, cases of wine, jewellery, artworks etc. It's another world, and we wouldn't dream of spending that much on a family member's birthday present, let alone a teacher. The Independent Schools produce a magazine for parents and it's like a competition for businesses to get their adverts in to a receptive readership market.

But of course, this is just a smallish percentage of society in general.

annsixty

This old adage came to mind this morning when an email popped up my inbox from Hand picked Hotels.
It was suggesting ideal gifts to reward your child’s teacher at the end of the academic year.
Gifts ranged from afternoon tea starting at £50 to spa experiences at £212 .
Do your AC spend this sort of money for their child’s teacher or have we strayed into a fantasy world?

Exactly what you put.
Good marketing strategy by the hotel.
No my AC don’t spend that sort of money for their child’s teacher.
Yes we have strayed into a fantasy world for a lot of things at the moment.

Don’t be disingenuous.

Please don’t insult me.
I know very well it is a hotel group.
I don’t expect people to be taken in by it.
Just asking for opinions on it and I did ask if we are in a fantasy world.

I think the OP needs to look at who is generating the ridiculous ideas of afternoon tea and spa experience. It’s hotel group looking for customers.

Don’t be so gullible and ready to come out all guns blazing.

LRavenscroft

What is wrong with a thank you card written by the child? With the cost of living rising, I imagine a lot of families will be struggling to pay bills and don't need extra unnecessary costs.

Does anyone disagree with that? I don’t. Endless accounts on here about being happy with a card, a note, or a small gift.
Has anyone mentioned being offended by parents/children not offering anything? Of course not. It’s not an expectation.
I do think the sums quoted in the OP were ridiculous.
Do you agree with parents / people being told what they must/must not do, especially for the benefit of others?
Does that apply to every thing and everyone?
It worked well with mask wearing during Covid. Even GNs were adamant that they weren’t going to wear masks just because they were told to do so, even if it was thought to benefit others.

What is wrong with a thank you card written by the child? With the cost of living rising, I imagine a lot of families will be struggling to pay bills and don't need extra unnecessary costs.

No-one is disputing that most teachers work hard Elaine as do so many other workers. A small token of appreciation is one thing but some of the excesses mentioned here smack of bribery or one upmanship.

How lovely to be called nasty and saddoes for having a different opinion.

ElaineI

This has turned into a fairly nasty thread. How many of you are teachers or parents with children in school? DD1 is a teacher P1 and P2 (5 and 6 year olds). She has had gifts ranging from vouchers from a group of parents if a couple of parents arrange it - not every year - to chocolates, candles, mugs, things made by children and appreciates anything especially things made by the children. The home made cards are very special to her and she can relate to her experience with each child (some are very funny). She doesn't expect it and not all give a gift. As a teacher herself, she helps organise a gift for her own children's teachers. This year I have been handed handprints for her to make something by parents I don't know while waiting for DGC to come out. She is in school from 7.30am to 5pm teaching and preparing for the next day and goes in during holidays to set the classroom up and prepare and spends at least an hour each night doing work. Job doesn't end when the children leave.
As to gifts in NHS - yes they are allowed but nurses normally receive chocolates, biscuits, tea, coffee all much appreciated. Doctors are given wine, fancy whisky - things like that as well as chocs. In case anyone doubts this - yes I have received nurse's gifts and yes I have been handed bottles to pass on to GPs and hospital doctors.

Ain’t that the truth! Always a few saddoes around, unfortunately. Sometimes you feel like giving up .

ElaineI
This has turned into a fairly nasty thread. It’s difficult.
I have and do still accept gifts from children, cakes, flowers, chocolates etc. My DH also (as a grandparent ) provided gifts for staff in my DGC class. Our choice.
But the OP was making a point about how ridiculous the cost mentioned in her inbox was. I agree, but then I don’t live in a world where people have the odd £50 or £200 to spare.
Points on here about cost of gifts if you have more than one child, or other classroom staff are well made.
Points about some children feeling left out if their parents can’t afford, or choose not to give gifts are valid.
Points about parents feeling obliged to give gifts may well be true. I didn’t feel obliged when my children were in primary. It was something I enjoyed doing, but that’s not to say others don’t feel obliged.
Setting a school policy of no gifts and sharing that with parents -OK , but that’s making a decision for all parents and some object to being told what to do, in the same way that we all sometimes do and find ways to get round it.
Do teachers deserve gifts? What does that mean?
Does anyone only give gifts on a basis of deserving?

My kids and GC all made cakes as gifts they made them and iced them themselves .Cost very little but time and always appreciated in the staffroom we were told

I received many little gifts of thanks when I was teaching and I appreciated them all. However two gifts particularly moved me. One was from a little girl who I taught when she was five, who when she was about twelve or thirteen, brought me a gift from Mecca when she went on pilgrimage there with her family. I taught her two younger brothers too, but it was the sister who brought me the gift. I was quite overcome by that lovely thought. The other was a parent of twins who I taught in both Nursery class and Reception class (I moved year groups the year they went up, so I went up with them) and when they left the school at the end of Year 2 their mother brought me a teddy saying Best Teacher because she said I was the best teacher they had in the school. They are lovely memories of lovely families, and this was in a very challenging area.

As I said I currently work in schools, but previously worked in social care management where under no circumstances this would have been allowed. I dont think it is nasty to ask questions or express concerns about this. Lots of people work long hours, I dont that has any impact on whether we should ignore the issues that this situation brings

This has turned into a fairly nasty thread. How many of you are teachers or parents with children in school? DD1 is a teacher P1 and P2 (5 and 6 year olds). She has had gifts ranging from vouchers from a group of parents if a couple of parents arrange it - not every year - to chocolates, candles, mugs, things made by children and appreciates anything especially things made by the children. The home made cards are very special to her and she can relate to her experience with each child (some are very funny). She doesn't expect it and not all give a gift. As a teacher herself, she helps organise a gift for her own children's teachers. This year I have been handed handprints for her to make something by parents I don't know while waiting for DGC to come out. She is in school from 7.30am to 5pm teaching and preparing for the next day and goes in during holidays to set the classroom up and prepare and spends at least an hour each night doing work. Job doesn't end when the children leave.
As to gifts in NHS - yes they are allowed but nurses normally receive chocolates, biscuits, tea, coffee all much appreciated. Doctors are given wine, fancy whisky - things like that as well as chocs. In case anyone doubts this - yes I have received nurse's gifts and yes I have been handed bottles to pass on to GPs and hospital doctors.

Youngest son and I baked cupcakes for teacher. Eldest son said: ‘I wouldn’t eat something a 7-year-old made’. He made a good point. They probably went straight into bin 😳