End-of-term gifts to teacher ...a thong and a sack of spuds

A SACK of potatoes, half- drunk bottles of wine and stolen car radios and jewellery have been listed among the worst gifts given to teachers.

Members of staff say they have also been presented with thongs, half-eaten boxes of chocolates and ‘ re-gifted’ items from school raffles.

A survey of 1,220 teachers and assistants lists the ‘stunningly bad’ presents brought in by pupils for the modern practice of thanking a teacher at the end of term.

A teacher was presented with a bag of potatoes, while another was given a ‘plan your wedding’ book – despite being nowhere near getting married.

One received jewellery which they were ‘sure was stolen for me’, and one said they had been handed a stolen car radio in a

‘Ideal solution is a voucher’

carrier bag. Other gifts mentioned to parenting website Mumsnet included a re-gifted diffuser which the recipient knew was from the Christmas raffle because they had put the ticket on it, and aftershave given to a female worker.

Thirteen per cent said the worst present they have received is something featuring the phrase ‘best teacher’ or similar.

By far the most popular present enjoyed by staff is sweet treats (90 per cent), followed by a note or card from a child (79 per cent) and wine or spirits (71 per cent).

On whole-class gifts – when parents club together to buy one present from the entire class – 68 per cent of staff said they worry about children feeling left out if their parent cannot afford to take part and 77 per cent were concerned that families may feel pressured to contribute.

Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said: ‘The ideal solution seems to be a lowpressure class collection for a voucher and a scrapbook full of messages from the small people concerned.’