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

2456722

Comments

  • DigForVictory
    DigForVictory Posts: 11,903
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Photogenic First Post
    Forumite
    This is madness. It is bad for your child, it is not good for your budgeting & it is ludicrous for the school to support this.
    That the teacher would like the vouchers (charitably) suggests she missed the catch & it looks like your son will be in the crossfire.
    Write to the teacher, copied into the Head & the chair of Governors. As a now-ceased Critical Friend, I'd be horrified at the suggestion, let alone the reply! £25 is a lot of money, and if school is ready to ask for that for staff, then I really hope they are accounting for it, correctly, in full.
    Meanwhile I'd send in a 'present for the teacher' - a box with a mask, a sack labelled Swag & an (empty) water pistol, labelled with the note "bank robbing kit - collect £25 from your nearest bank".
    (The staff know me, my family, my gruesome sense of humour - my school would laugh. Yours needs a nudge.)
  • If your children want to give a gift to their teacher it should be something thoughtful, something they made or something drawn. Maybe give them a budget of a couple of pounds and let them pick something themselves from a shop. It should never be forced!
  • elsien wrote: »
    Vouchers aren't taxable.

    I'm not an expert at this but this is a tip / gratuity in the form of a voucher with a cash value so hmrc seems to indicate it is but correct me if I'm wrong.
  • candygirl
    candygirl Posts: 29,455
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    No way is this acceptable!!I am also a teacher albeit supply, but even on permanent contracts never expect gifts from the kids at the end of term.Home made cards are enough for me:D
    "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf"

    (Kabat-Zinn 2004):D:D:D
  • £25 from each pupil - with 30 pupils is £750 between them.

    I'd not pay that on principle. John Lewis vouchers indeed.
    Sanctimonious Veggie. GYO-er. Seed Saver. Get in.
  • dawn27
    dawn27 Posts: 314
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    i think if the class wanted to get as present then each contribute and get a donation to a school (many schools do link ups with schools in africa etc)

    Much better idea in my opinion, £750 to a third world school would be put to much better use than buying tat from John Lewis she proberly doesn't even need.

    I would donate to a charity in their name, put it in an envelope and give it to the teacher.

    A thank you should be more than enough for doing a job you are already paid for
  • julie2710
    julie2710 Posts: 1,381 Forumite
    £25 per child :eek: Wow I think I'm going to retrain as a teacher and get a job there!

    In my sons' school the class rep organises the gift for the teacher and everyone usually puts in £10 to cover the teacher and teaching assistant. There's usually only 10-12 pupils per class so the total isn't that high. If people have more than one child in the school or are jus a bit hard up they can put in less or nothing. It's organised via the parents not the children so no child feels stigmatised if their parents don't contribute.

    I also think John Lewis vouchers are incredibly impersonal and in the past we have done things like get the children to draw pictures and get them printed on a vase or put together a book with messages from the children. I doubt a teacher would remember a particular class when she spends what sounds like it would be £300+ of vouchers!!
    MBNA [STRIKE]£2,029[/STRIKE] £1,145 Virgin [STRIKE]£8,712[/STRIKE] £7,957 Sainsbury [STRIKE]£6,870[/STRIKE] £5,575 M&S [STRIKE]£10,016[/STRIKE] £9,690 Barclaycard [STRIKE]£11,951[/STRIKE] £11,628 CTC [STRIKE]£7,629[/STRIKE] £6,789 Mortgage £[STRIKE]182,828[/STRIKE] £171,670
    LBM Dec12 excl mort 47,207/42,784 Dec13
    Excl mortg and CTC 39,578/35,995 Dec13
    Incl mortg 230,035/214,454 Dec13

    Extra payment a week:this week £0 / YTD£1,457.55
  • Tiggy10
    Tiggy10 Posts: 443
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    As a teacher i find this disgusting! It makes teachers look like money grabbers, which infact most are not!
    I dont expect anything at the end of the year, I chose to do my job and I get paid to do what i do. i dont expect the parents of my children to pay for anything for myself. I teach in a deprived area and was terribly surprised, grateful (and surprised to receive some chocolates, flowers and drawings from the chn)

    John Lewis vouchers?? Im sure you cant be the only parent at your school who finds this outrageous!
    Paying it all off in 2017:
    Finance 1- [STRIKE]115[/STRIKE] Paid Jan 2017
    Finance 2- 335
    CC - [STRIKE]2000[/STRIKE]1800
    OD 1 - [STRIKE]2200[/STRIKE] 1850
    OD 2 - 2500
  • WestonDave
    WestonDave Posts: 5,154
    Rampant Recycler
    Forumite
    Bargaineer wrote: »
    I'm not an expert at this but this is a tip / gratuity in the form of a voucher with a cash value so hmrc seems to indicate it is but correct me if I'm wrong.

    I'd agree with you - its cash value vouchers administered by the employer so would be taxable - otherwise everyone would get paid in Sainsbury's vouchers and pay no tax!

    As for £25 per head - absolutely taking the proverbial and no chance I'd pay it!
    Adventure before Dementia!
  • seasideDreamer
    seasideDreamer Posts: 1,363
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    £25 is far too much and like many others, I can't afford that for my own family. I work for local government and we have to declare everything, even freebie mugs etc. Its not very fair that teachers don't have to go by the same rules...well I'm guessing they don't as my Manager would never allow the kind of small gifts some get let alone John Lewis vouchers. Infact the norm I believe in local government is not to except any gift if you can avoid causing offence, rather than exceping and declaring. I realise many teachers expect and receive nothing but sounds like some really are taking advantage:eek:
    Debt free and busy treating myself:)

    No more toiletries/make up until I've used what I've got stashed since Jan 2011, graduated October 2012. Restocked Dec 13..damn those sales
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards