Expensive Teacher's Gifts Seen as Bribes

Teachers gifted luxury presents like jewellery and Yves Saint Laurent perfume a worrying trend which experts warn effectively amounts to bribing teachers.

Teachers have accepted jewellery valued at $700, spa treatments valued at $250 and a $100 bottles of Yves Saint Laurent Perfume Baby Doll perfume, school documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph through Government Information Public Access (GIPA) rules reveal.

Parents are tossing in together and giving teachers Westfield Gift vouchers and Visa gift cards — and in some cases simply a wad of $300 cash.

This is despite a Department of Education edict which says they must not accept “obviously expensive gifts”.

“You must never ask for money gifts or benefits and you must never accept any offer of money, or accept a gift greater than a nominal value,” the ministerial guideline says.

A Department of Education spokesman said he interpreted that to mean teachers couldn’t expressly ask for gifts.

“There is no ministerial directive prohibiting teachers from accepting gifts valued at more than $50,” he said.

The ministerial edict states: “It would not be acceptable to receive gifts or benefits in the following situations … a parent gives a teacher an obviously expensive gift — e.g. jewellery.”

However, the documents show the gifts received by educators included a parent giving a teacher a $100 gift voucher for Reading Cinemas for their birthday while another was given a $100 Swarovski bracelet as a wedding gift.

Another parent gave a teacher $700 worth of Pandora Jewellery.

Teaching method lecturer at UTS Mohan Dhall said extravagant gifts “absolutely blurred the line” for teachers.

“If someone is accepting something for $700 how could it not shape how they view and how they treat that person,” he said.

We recently shared how one Mum was shamed for refusing to contribute to expensive Christmas gift for her child’s Kindergarten teacher. Read more on that HERE.

Here is What You Need to Know About Gifting Your Child’s Teacher This Christmas

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20 Comments

- - serotonin said
  - 06 Jun 2019
    9:36 pm
I sincerely hope that teachers do not treat any child differently to another based on the value of the gift received by the parents.

- - skbou said
  - 05 Jan 2019
    2:30 pm
I wondered if this was common, if maybe it’s just different from where I am but judging by the comments I think that the story must be about somewhere high-socio economic? I’ve only encountered it once when a parent was boasting about the dinner voucher she’d given (compared to our $5 box of chockies).

- - nealsq said
  - 31 Dec 2018
    10:37 pm
wouldn’t you need to give them the expensive gift at the start of the year not the end when all is said and done?

- - mom19782016 said
  - 20 Dec 2018
    6:11 pm
Yeah, it’s getting crazy out there. My child had a lovely teacher but the parent helper organised / lobbied a gift voucher set, massages, wine, chocolates, flowers, cash and jewellery. It was ridiculous and she was quite embarrassed by it all. It was around $800 worth of gifts!!!!!!! Totally OTT.

- - littlehandsofmine said
  - 18 Dec 2018
    6:48 am
Wow I didn’t realise society has changed and this is now what we are doing

- - mom101628 said
  - 17 Dec 2018
    11:10 pm
My kids were lucky to give their teacher an apple. What is this world coming to?

- - rnash02 said
  - 17 Dec 2018
    3:05 am
Each to their own, what they spend on gifts for there childs teacher, I cant afford to spend alot, but like to give something to show appreciation.

- - Becbec80 said
  - 16 Dec 2018
    11:53 pm
I find this so strange. I am a teacher and have never heard of a colleague receiving extravagant gifts. They must be from high socio economic areas.
A group of us all put in small amounts for a gift for our children’s Kindy teacher on their completion, but it was a group effort, so doesn’t sound like this. I thought that was a really sweet idea.

- - ashna9 said
  - 16 Dec 2018
    6:30 pm
If it;s given at xmas at the end of the year then can’t be a bribe because they’re about to go to a new teacher?

- - mom93821 said
  - 15 Dec 2018
    1:22 pm
It would be embarrassing to receive such expensive gifts.

- - Ellen said
  - 15 Dec 2018
    9:02 am
Just a small gift is ok to me.

- - Mum2archer said
  - 14 Dec 2018
    11:51 pm
I wouldn’t spend a fortune on a teacher! A simple gift to show appreciation is all that is needed! I can’t believe some people spend this much on gifts for their kids teachers!!
- mom93821 replied
  
  16 Dec 2018 , 9:07 am
  Seems so wasteful! Surely teachers would want families to spend their money wisely.
- - Blossom said
  - 14 Dec 2018
    10:55 pm
The only present I ever gave a teacher (It was a class effort) was a fancy tray when she got married. One of the parents had the teacher and husbands’ names engraved on it.

- - BellaB said
  - 14 Dec 2018
    7:26 pm
It does seem a bit odd… But some people do have a lot of money and are generous.

- - Cookfromscratchmum said
  - 14 Dec 2018
    5:51 pm
If you’re giving her an expensive gift at the end of the year and she’s not teaching your kid next year I don’t see a bribe a good teacher should be rewarded

- - mom112217 said
  - 14 Dec 2018
    5:36 pm
A small gift would seem appropriate as they are not family or friends!

- - mom90758 said
  - 14 Dec 2018
    5:05 pm
Bribery sounds like a very strong term. But giving gifts worth $700 astonishes me!

- - mom206279 said
  - 14 Dec 2018
    4:06 pm
I thought you gave teacher gifts at the end of the year? Whats the point of bribery after the fact? My kids kinder teachers haven’t earned a thing.

- - becstalou said
  - 14 Dec 2018
    2:29 pm
Definitely opening yourself up to accusations it’s not worth it.