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Friday, 12 September 2008
Expensive gifts to teachers spark debate in China
From overseas holidays to luxury villa stays, the practice of extravagant giving poses an ethical and legal dilemma among the teaching profession View PDF
From overseas holidays to luxury villa stays, the practice of extravagant giving poses an ethical and legal dilemma among the teaching profession
Wed, Sep 10, 2008 The New Paper
FOR Teachers’ Day in Singapore, most educators are usually happy to get a hand-made card or a box of chocolates as a token of appreciation from their students.
In Shanghai, however, parents are taking gift-giving to a whole new level to thank their childrens’ teachers.
For China’s Teachers’ Day, which falls on Wednesday, some parents plan to shower teachers with extravagant gifts such as overseas trips, free interior decoration, and pedigree dogs worth more than 10,000yuan ($2,100).
The competition to please teachers has become so intense that many parents avoid giving commonly-accepted gifts, such as mooncake vouchers and pre-paid cards, because they are deemed too cheap, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.
A father, who gave his surname as Zhu, told the newspaper that he is planning to arrange for his daughter’s three teachers to go on a free tour of Japan during the National Day holiday.
‘They are all women and must be fond of Japan, which is a shopping paradise,’ he said.
‘They are always nice to my kid. I am merely expressing my gratitude and strengthening the bonds of friendship.’
Luxury villa
Another father, who gave his surname as Gu, said he was going to invite his daughter’s sixth-grade teachers to stay at a two-story villa beside Yangcheng Lake in Jiangsu Province for a week.
‘The Teachers’ Day and Mid-Autumn Festival fall so close this year,’ said Mr Gu, who runs a supermarket chain.
‘They are the first big days for my daughter after she is admitted into the middle school this year. The coupon for a week-long stay in the villa is both decent and fair.’
In light of such extravagant gifts, parents who are less well-off are now more hesitant to give modest gifts such as coupons or pre-paid cards.
‘Actually I am scared when I do this,’ said a mother who gave her surname as Wang.
‘I am afraid my child will be affected and I am even more worried if the teacher may reject the offer.’
This practice is reportedly causing both an ethical and legal dilemma among the teaching profession.
While the giving of expensive gifts, under law, is not considered bribery, some legal experts, including attorney Mr Yue Wenhui of the Shanghai Zhongyuan & Lantian Law Firm, believe that rules should be instituted to stop teachers accepting gifts from parents.
Loss of dignity
Education experts are also worried that this trend could not only affect the dignity of teachers, but also alter the relationship between student and mentor into one that is based on money.
‘Teachers are duty-bound to take care of every student,’ said well-known educator Yu Yi.
‘They cannot ask for gifts as a reward. Parents, though doing it for the good of their child, should not buy special treatment from teachers.’
He added that in the end, the children would end up being the victims as they might lose respect for their teachers.
Ms Wan Yonghong, mother of a fifth-grader, said: ‘Teachers might treat kids whose parents send gifts differently, even if it’s unconscious.’
She added that she had never given presents to teachers.
Some teachers agreed, saying they felt embarrassed when parents tried force expensive gifts on them.
A middle-school teacher who gave his surname as Yu said: ‘If the parents insist on not taking back the present, I spend it all on the students.’
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Expensive gifts to teachers spark debate in China
From overseas holidays to luxury villa stays, the practice of extravagant giving poses an ethical and legal dilemma among the teaching profession
Wed, Sep 10, 2008
The New Paper
FOR Teachers’ Day in Singapore, most educators are usually happy to get a hand-made card or a box of chocolates as a token of appreciation from their students.
In Shanghai, however, parents are taking gift-giving to a whole new level to thank their childrens’ teachers.
For China’s Teachers’ Day, which falls on Wednesday, some parents plan to shower teachers with extravagant gifts such as overseas trips, free interior decoration, and pedigree dogs worth more than 10,000yuan ($2,100).
The competition to please teachers has become so intense that many parents avoid giving commonly-accepted gifts, such as mooncake vouchers and pre-paid cards, because they are deemed too cheap, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.
A father, who gave his surname as Zhu, told the newspaper that he is planning to arrange for his daughter’s three teachers to go on a free tour of Japan during the National Day holiday.
‘They are all women and must be fond of Japan, which is a shopping paradise,’ he said.
‘They are always nice to my kid. I am merely expressing my gratitude and strengthening the bonds of friendship.’
Luxury villa
Another father, who gave his surname as Gu, said he was going to invite his daughter’s sixth-grade teachers to stay at a two-story villa beside Yangcheng Lake in Jiangsu Province for a week.
‘The Teachers’ Day and Mid-Autumn Festival fall so close this year,’ said Mr Gu, who runs a supermarket chain.
‘They are the first big days for my daughter after she is admitted into the middle school this year. The coupon for a week-long stay in the villa is both decent and fair.’
In light of such extravagant gifts, parents who are less well-off are now more hesitant to give modest gifts such as coupons or pre-paid cards.
‘Actually I am scared when I do this,’ said a mother who gave her surname as Wang.
‘I am afraid my child will be affected and I am even more worried if the teacher may reject the offer.’
This practice is reportedly causing both an ethical and legal dilemma among the teaching profession.
While the giving of expensive gifts, under law, is not considered bribery, some legal experts, including attorney Mr Yue Wenhui of the Shanghai Zhongyuan & Lantian Law Firm, believe that rules should be instituted to stop teachers accepting gifts from parents.
Loss of dignity
Education experts are also worried that this trend could not only affect the dignity of teachers, but also alter the relationship between student and mentor into one that is based on money.
‘Teachers are duty-bound to take care of every student,’ said well-known educator Yu Yi.
‘They cannot ask for gifts as a reward. Parents, though doing it for the good of their child, should not buy special treatment from teachers.’
He added that in the end, the children would end up being the victims as they might lose respect for their teachers.
Ms Wan Yonghong, mother of a fifth-grader, said: ‘Teachers might treat kids whose parents send gifts differently, even if it’s unconscious.’
She added that she had never given presents to teachers.
Some teachers agreed, saying they felt embarrassed when parents tried force expensive gifts on them.
A middle-school teacher who gave his surname as Yu said: ‘If the parents insist on not taking back the present, I spend it all on the students.’
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