Teacher presents 'competitive', says union

Giving presents to teachers is becoming increasingly commercialised and competitive, a teachers' union warns. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) says pupils and parents should not feel pressurised into buying end-of-term gifts for their teachers. In a survey of 1,000 of its members, the ATL found 93% had received gifts.

The most popular present was chocolate (85% of gifts), but one teacher was given opera tickets, another Test match tickets and another champagne.

The survey revealed some particularly lavish gifts, which included:



• A Tiffany bracelet
• A Mulberry handbag
• A brace of pheasants

But not every teacher was so fortunate. One received a half-eaten chocolate bar, while another was given a ripped book with pages missing.

And one teacher reportedly received "a second-hand photo album with dog hair all over it". After chocolates, flowers or plants were the most popular gift (53%), followed by alcohol (49%) and toiletries (48%).