The Editor,
Re. “No more trustee trips” (Letters, The Tri-City News, June 22).
I am responding to the letter by Stan Marshall regarding trustee trips and his comments about receiving gifts.
As another school year ends, I am shocked by the gifts that are given to teachers at this time of year as well as at Christmas.
I agree with Mr. Marshall that trustees should not be accepting free trips to China but I would go further and say that gift giving should no longer be permitted to anybody in the school system.
We have refugee/immigrant families, families living in poverty and families struggling to maintain their housing. Having to come up with extra money to purchase an appropriate gift for teacher(s) is too much.
It is not enough to say that it is not expected because kids compare what others are giving to the teacher and feel pressured.
I would ask the School District 43 board of education to disallow any gift giving in the future to ensure that no students are left to feel inadequate.
As Mr. Marshall pointed out, he is prohibited from receiving gifts and so are all other government employees, so it is time that gift giving be prohibited for teachers as well.
E. Foxhill, Coquitlam
