Real-life MMD: Should I pay fixed contribution for teacher's gift?

adra04778

It is scandalous, I would report it to the local education board I think a pound per pupil is sufficient, they get a decent wage and fantastic holiday time, its shameful really

marich

I defy the contributor of this 'dilemma' to 'spill the beans' ! Specifically :
1) Which school is it ?
2) Who told the child the amount was £25 ?
3) Does this happen every year ?
4) When did this start ?
5) How and to whom is the money to be given over ?
6) Is the amount receipted ?
7) Are there accounts made public either within the staff or to parents ?
8) Is the amount given over to class teachers exclusively from their own pupils or is it 'divvied up' between all the staff ?
9) Do assistants get as much as teachers ?
10) What do the cooks , the jannies , the lollipop person , the secretaries , the cleaners or any other non-teaching post get ?

I am a teacher and I have real trouble believing that this post is for real . This is so far beyond anything I have ever seen let alone heard of ! I get paid to do a job and I do it - I do not expect to be getting the equivalent of a 'tip' for it . I am a professional and could never accept a gratuity from a 'client' .

fruugal

The principle of children showing gratitude toward a teacher is excellent but it is totally wrong for the school to organise it as it then becomes expected. It should be parents and children who do that and then the parents can control the potential gift too.

Being a teacher, good or bad, does not entitle you to expect a gift and as for requesting John Lewis vouchers, I think it shows that the 'gifts' have become expected.

A reality check should bring it back to the children of whatever age getting together a big card and something totalling £25 from the whole class, not £25 per child, seems more appropriate to me.

maggiebee48

This can't be for real.

I am worried by the spelling and grammar in some of the contributions from teachers on the forum.

Perhaps the scam has served a certain purpose. :eek:

ralphy

I think the school/teachers in question should be named and shamed. Do all the teachers and teaching assistants in that school all ask for the same gift or is it just one particular teacher and teaching assistant within that particular school??

Any parent who agrees to pay that is truly mad.

mjm3346

Cards and gifts for teachers are another example of rubbish taken on from the USA and asking for £25 per child is outrageous.

sugarbaby125

This has certainly generated a lot of replies! I know of a school in my local area, that does similar. My friend's son attends this school. There are constant requests for donations. I went to the school performance 3 weeks ago. I was happy to pay for my entrance ticket. At the end of the performance an announcement was made that there were collection buckets. The school wanted to buy gifts for the Year 6 Leavers! I could not believe the cheek of the school. All after school activities have to paid for by parents, if they want their children to attend. (£80-90 per term per activity). I observed the children in the Nature after school club, being taught to pretend to be mini beasts and then have a game of tag! I was unimpressed with this form of education. Little wonder it is so poor quality, when Parents are pressured to run the after school activities, even though they are untrained and have no experience of teaching, as Parents are UNPAID. This school also has collections for teachers who are leaving and for teachers at the end of term and also demands that parents donate a minimum of £15! They are currently asking parents for donations for a teacher who was sacked for GROSS MISCONDUCT. (Beggars belief). When my friend told me all this was standard in her son's school, I was incredulous. She is on Benefits, so this sounded and looked like extortion. They may as well hold a gun to the parents head and demand money with menaces!!!

fergiedee

This is nothing less than blackmail... How dare that teacher reply as he/she did..They need to get the simple philosophy thru' their heads.
(1) The chose the profession
(2) They accepted the T&C's of their contract.
(3) They get paid a decent salary
(4) They get up to 13 weeks PAID Holidays

They refuse to be assessed individually thru' an appraisal scheme, which, if they are so good at what they do would earn themselves MORE benefits...

Time they did the job, did it properly, and stop bleating and looking for 'eand of term' freebies. Do they declare these 'gifts' to the Inland Revenue???? They ARE Taxable....

fergiedee

marich wrote: »

I defy the contributor of this 'dilemma' to 'spill the beans' ! Specifically :
1) Which school is it ?
2) Who told the child the amount was £25 ?
3) Does this happen every year ?
4) When did this start ?
5) How and to whom is the money to be given over ?
6) Is the amount receipted ?
7) Are there accounts made public either within the staff or to parents ?
8) Is the amount given over to class teachers exclusively from their own pupils or is it 'divvied up' between all the staff ?
9) Do assistants get as much as teachers ?
10) What do the cooks , the jannies , the lollipop person , the secretaries , the cleaners or any other non-teaching post get ?

I am a teacher and I have real trouble believing that this post is for real . This is so far beyond anything I have ever seen let alone heard of ! I get paid to do a job and I do it - I do not expect to be getting the equivalent of a 'tip' for it . I am a professional and could never accept a gratuity from a 'client' .

You truly are i in a million and there should be more like you

Ebenezer_Screwj

No way. You are being blackmailed into this scam, not only by your son but by the teaching staff. What a cheek telling you that they want vouchers, if this were me I would contribute exactly nothing.