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EWmums

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ewmoda

Does anyone else decline to contribute to the class fund?

14

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 October 2014 - 19:20

My children's class mums are arranging the class 'kitty' and asking for 250dhs for each child. I am happy to contribute towards all school related activities, national day is maybe 10 dhs, a Christmas hamper contribution 20dhs but the bulk of the funds being asked for are for the teachers and TA's gifts for Xmas, bday's and end of year. If I choose to purchase teacher gifts I would want my children to choose these gifts themselves. It seems as though everyone just pays into the kitty, does anyone else prefer to do it the same way I do? And how did it go down with the other parents?

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682

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 22 October 2014 - 16:48

I decline too...with four kids, it gets a bit too much. We give our own gifts and dh 250 would about cover the costs for teachers of all 4 kids. While on the topic I find it odd that school admin. allows parents to give gifts to teachers throughout the year. In the previous schools my children have attended it was strictly confined to only year-end whereas at the School with the marble arch mums are/were collecting and gifting every term PLUS X'mas.

214

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 October 2014 - 15:31

Which schools are you ladies talking about? Our school (chueifat) sends out notices each year stating its not allowed to get the teachers/assistants any gifts. So I never came across this situation before/ when my kids were in a nursery, a simple chocolate pack from Patchi/Godiva or a small package dates from Bateel was a suitable gift for teachers for Christmas or Eid! but a 250 - 350 dirhams from a 20-25 kids class is a huge amount! Multiply that by God knows how many sections!! 30-40K dirhams???? Shocking...

674

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 20 October 2014 - 18:20

Sorry to step on the thread but my daughter really wants to gift her teacher some earrings, I purchased them so when should she give them- Christmas or end of year? I told her its probably better to wait until the end of the year since not everyone celebrates the same holidays and would be a nice thank you/parting gift. they were around 150 Dhs so I thought that was ok, she picked them herself. I thought it might be better than a huge collective gift, and I know I'd be furious if I contributed to some slimming or other ridiculous request, it's truly a gift from my daughters heart as she thinks her teacher will really enjoy them. <em>edited by Cherpie on 20/10/2014</em>

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Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 20 October 2014 - 13:41

At nursery, I always opted out of the class presents and bought our own. At school I always contributed 50 - 100 AED for the primary classes only; it's not been done for secondary. One year we were asked to contribute 200 AED for one teacher's present (who I wasn't particularly impressed with) for a course of slimming treatments she had said she wanted, to be supplied by the business of one of the other class mums. I felt this was inappropriate as a gift, mentioned it to some of the other mums and we returned to the 100 AED per person we and the other classes generally contribute to teachers. Do the other classes at your school contribute 250 AED? It seems a very generous teacher's present to me and I can understand why you feel it's too much.

704

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 20 October 2014 - 13:17

I personally haven't declined but I know some mums who have and no one batted an eye. This year we gave 300 AED for one of my children's classes (19 children and every parent contributed) and 350 AED in my other child's class (20 children and again everyone but 1 contributed). The money will be used for teachers and assistants gifts at the end of term and end of school year, along with flowers & cards.

3220

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 21:59

We all paid dhs200 for the class expenses...we have 25 kids in the class. Its for christmas presents and end-of-year presents for the teacher and teacher's assistant among other things. The class mum collects it and is in charge of getting the gifts which are usually cash shopping vouchers at malls with flowers. Wish I got gifts that expensive!

14

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 15:55

My MIL is a teacher and appreciates every little gift, she is given, she works in a rough school in a rough area and gets multiple 'cheap' pounds shop gifts, which she appreciates very much, it is all about the gesture for her. For me I want my children to experience going to choose a little something for their teacher, wrapping it up themselves, making a card, then proudly walking into their classroom and enjoying the feeling of giving a gift.

8965

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 15:37

How do people afford to have children here. it seems so expensive :-(

1170

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 15:37

Wow! if the class have 25 students and each bring along the 250 dhs, they would have 6250 dhs!!! Why would a class mum gather that big amount of money for (kitty)!!!! still this is very uncomfortable amount of money to be given to a child class, even when I was flatting didn't pay that much toward our apartment groceries!!! In my own opinion, I won't pay any at all, I pay the school fees, and every other activity, in birthdays I bake cupcakes, in the end of school year I make bags full of pencils and stickers that help for the next academic year, and up to me if I can buy a gift to the teachers or not, if I don't have funds for it, a nice thank you card hand made by me - or my child with me - and give it to the teachers....I remember there were time class mum requested us to contribute to gold plated pandora bracelet and toys to be in for the teachers of the class, I declined stating I don't spend that much on me, why should I spend it at all?!! OP, don't feel pressured to pay even a dirham against your will.

588

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 15:25

Indeed happy to see a lot of people think like this. It is just spinning out of control, especially since this comes on top of the mountain high school fees we already pay... To add to that are the birthday parties, school shows, field trips, books fairs and contributions towards breast cancer awareness and whatnot. I see money literally flying out of my wallet some months.

Doubting Thomas

2298

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 15:17

I've known quite a few teachers over the years and the one thing they dread is the Christmas gift tradition. My first house share after university was with two other teachers and I remember sitting down at the table with them and going through the gifts they'd received on the last day of school before Christmas, and 90% of it was thrown away. As much as they love and appreciate the effort from the students, there's only so many cheap chocolates, scented candles and small bags of cheap toiletries one can put up with. And you also need to be careful about baking cookies or cakes for teachers. Odds are it'll probably be tossed away too. The teachers I knew would have been just as happy with a handmade card. Ever mindful of that I just contribute to the class kitty and let the PTA organize a special dinner or event for the teachers. But I do agree that 250 per child is quite a lot. Think about it, if a primary year teacher has 24 students and they each chipped 250 AED, that's 6,000 AED, or 12 high end brunches! 100 to 150 sounds perfectly generous to me. edited by Tallybalt on 19/10/2014 edited by Tallybalt on 19/10/2014 Sounds like you had a nasty bunch of friends...all the teachers I've ever met, without exception, are very appreciative of their gifts and would always find an appropriate new home for them if they couldn't keep them all themselves...I'd be very offended if I thought my child's gifts were considered "cheap".. We always give our own gifts to the teachers we like at Christmas, Easter and end of year plus I contribute whatever the class mum asks for towards a group gift. However, I do think 250 sounds quite a lot to ask for up front, even if it does cover multiple occasions... Ours is usually around the 50 or 100 mark per gift (or an unspecified amount), which I think is fair.

674

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 15:06

250 Dhs is not reasonable to me for a full class of students, I'd not feel comfortable with that at all. Nice to know attempted thoughtful things are being thrown out, that'd sure hurt my kids feelings! My aunt was a teacher for 40 years, I'm sure she didn't keep everything but maybe donated it once she got too much, something like that. <em>edited by Cherpie on 19/10/2014</em>

319

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 14:56

I refused to give a donation towards the class present for the teacher because I didn't like her ?

Ilovecandy97335

84

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 12:28

Maybe check what the DHS250 consists of as it may be for everything including teachers gifts. I like doing gifts myself but I also contribute as ours is just a getsure from the child. Things are expensive though so it may be easier and cheaper to add to the kitty. But do check.

654

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 12:19

I've known quite a few teachers over the years and the one thing they dread is the Christmas gift tradition. My first house share after university was with two other teachers and I remember sitting down at the table with them and going through the gifts they'd received on the last day of school before Christmas, and 90% of it was thrown away. As much as they love and appreciate the effort from the students, there's only so many cheap chocolates, scented candles and small bags of cheap toiletries one can put up with. And you also need to be careful about baking cookies or cakes for teachers. Odds are it'll probably be tossed away too. The teachers I knew would have been just as happy with a handmade card. Ever mindful of that I just contribute to the class kitty and let the PTA organize a special dinner or event for the teachers. But I do agree that 250 per child is quite a lot. Think about it, if a primary year teacher has 24 students and they each chipped 250 AED, that's 6,000 AED, or 12 high end brunches! 100 to 150 sounds perfectly generous to me. edited by Tallybalt on 19/10/2014 <em>edited by Tallybalt on 19/10/2014</em>

2383

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 11:23

If I were a teacher my preference in gifts would be for something a child had taken the time to sit down and make. Even just writing a letter to say how much they had enjoyed their year in my class and remembering things we had done each term. It's the thought that counts, not the price.

9

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 10:44

Indeed happy to see a lot of people think like this. It is just spinning out of control, especially since this comes on top of the mountain high school fees we already pay...

14

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 10:37

Thanks for the replies, glad to see I'm not alone :-)

393

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 18 October 2014 - 20:42

SarahN, I've been a class rep for my kids' classes for 5 or 6 years now. I would not bat an eyelash if someone did not want to contribute. It is totally voluntary and if you would rather do your own thing (or even do nothing) I wouldn't think a thing of it. When I send out an introductory email at the beginning of each year I make it very clear that the class contribution is a) voluntary and b) the amount is suggested but totally up to each individual to contribute what they feel is appropriate. I don't want anyone to feel they have to participated. (250 AED does however seem very high to me....we typically do 150 and there is plenty of money to cover thoughtful gifts....the best gifts are thoughtful not expensive!). Do whatever you feel is appropriate...it is your money, your child and your relationship with the teacher.

5452

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 18 October 2014 - 20:26

I don't contribute to class gifts anymore. I give my own gifts to the teachers. I stopped doing that after I gave a generous amount of money to the class mum to buy gifts for the teacher, assistant, and nanny and she never gave me a card to sign. I got angry because I thought that the people receiving the gifts would not know if I contributed or not....

275

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 October 2014 - 20:23

Initially I thought 250dhs per child seems like a lot...but I would probably spend about 100dhs per teacher for present so I suppose it could be ok. But on the other hand, if there's 20 children in a class that's 5000dhs in the kitty which is a lot of money - so I would want to know the breakdown of what that money will be spent on. Like you, I prefer my children to choose gifts, or make them, I just think it's more personal.

4062

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 18 October 2014 - 20:23

In my children's classes there is often a couple of parents who don't put in for the class gifts. It's not a big deal, I can't remember it ever being commented on to be honest. I doubt most people would even notice. We've never had a kitty though, it's always been paying for each thing as it comes up. In your situation I would just ask the class mums what would be easiest, giving them one lump sum for school related activities or giving them the money as they come up.

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