Many parents have to think hard about what to give their children's teachers on Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept 10 this year. Should teachers accept these gifts from parents or their students? Share your views with us.

9月10日“教师节”马上就要到了，许多家长正在为孩子向老师送什么礼物而头疼。那么，教师是否应该接受学生或家长的礼物呢？下面是一些观点。

Ave (UK): I find the concept of Teachers' Day a bit odd actually. It is not something that happens in the UK as far as I know. In the UK, acceptance of gifts by teachers is strictly¹ prohibited, especially gifts that have been purchased or giving cash as gift.

Ave(英国)：实际上，我认为教师节接受学生礼物有些怪异。据我所知，在英国是没有出现过的情况，教师接受礼物是被严格限制的，特别是花钱购买的礼物或给现金作为礼物。

Obviously, if a child bestows² a gift that they have made or the proverbial 'apple for teacher' then that is different, that can be considered an act of endearment³. To refuse in this case would probably do more harm than good.

显然，如果孩子送给老师的礼物是亲手制作的，或是众所周知的“送老师苹果”就不同了，这会被理解为对老师敬爱的表现。这种情况下拒绝礼物可能会弊大于利。

PatrickInBeijing (US): Instead of parents buying gifts, why not encourage children to make small gifts, drawing or paper flowers, or even a simple card? A small gift of love should be the greatest gift of all to a good teacher. I got one, and nothing could make me happier.

PatrickInBeijing (美国)：既然要家长买礼物，为何不鼓励孩子自己制作一个小礼物呢？比如一幅手工画或者纸花，甚至一张简单的贺卡也可以。一份充满爱意的小礼物是对一位好老师最好的礼物了。我曾经就收到过一个，令我非常开心。

TedM (UK): In my school in England teachers may receive a few small gifts (usually chocolates) at the very end of a school year, but usually these are given to the most popular female teachers. In no way are they intended as a bribe⁴ but an expression of liking⁵, and as a goodbye gift. In fact some teachers would spend their money on large amounts of sweets for their students at Christmas, Easter or at the end of the school year. This practice forced many teachers to do the same as their students then expected the same treatment.

TedM (英国)：在英国，我的老师在学年结束的时候会受到一些小礼物，大部分是巧克力，但通常是非常受欢迎的女老师才能收到这些礼物。这绝不会被认为是行贿，而是表达爱戴之情，同时也是离别礼物。事实上，一些老师可能还要花费一笔钱来购买糖果，在圣诞节、复活节或学年结束的时候发给学生。许多老师必须要这样做，让学生感受到公平对待。

pkhfighter (China): I want to share a story. When I was in senior high middle school, the Gaokao was around the corner, the competition in my province was so fierce that it was really hard to get admitted to a good school. I was unable to concentrate on my studies and had no idea why. My parents were worried, but my teacher paid no attention to me because he thought I was not good enough to get admitted to a famous college, such as Peking University or Tsinghua University. But one day, at the end of the class, my teacher sat down with me and had a chat. You will never know how grateful I was. After my final examination I found out that my parents had given the teacher some money, which is why he had the chat with me. In my opinion, he is not a competent teacher, especially as far as his character is concerned.

pkhfighter (中国)：我想分享一个故事。在我上高中的时候，临近高考，我所在的省份竞争非常激烈，想要进入一所好大学非常难。我无法集中精力学习，也不知道其中原因。父母亲都非常担忧，我的老师却无暇顾及我，他认为我没有希望进入一所好的高校，像清华北大那样。但有一天下课后，我的老师坐在我旁边同我交谈了一会儿。我不知道有多么感激她。期末考试后，我发现是父母给老师钱，所以她才同我谈心。我认为他不是一个称职的老师，特别是在人品方面。

Seneca (expat in China): I think gifts given to teachers are not the ideal way of showing a form of deference⁶; it would be much better if teachers were treated with the respect they deserve throughout the whole year. If a Teachers' Day is needed it should be held in a uniform manner, possibly as a national holiday.

Seneca (在华外籍人士)：我认为给老师送礼物并不是最好的方式来表达尊重，如果教师能在全年都能受到应有的尊重是最好了。如果教师节很有必要，应该举行统一的仪式，或者作为一个国家法定假日。

messi30 (US): Yes, but not necessarily for special care. When I was in school some parents use to give gifts at the end of the school year. As it was Christmas season, many people exchange gifts and in this case some parents give gifts to teachers to show their appreciation⁷ for their efforts.

messi30 (美国)：可以接受，但不应受到特殊对待。我上学的时候，一些家长经常在学年结束的时候向老师送礼物。比如圣诞季的时候，许多人都会交换礼物，这种情况下，一些家长为感谢老师们的努力贡献，会向老师送礼物。

I don't think giving gifts before the work has been done or completed is a good idea. The teachers should do their job without expecting any monetary⁸ benefits from parents. Teaching system should be equal for everybody, and shouldn't involve special care or extra things.

我认为在工作结束或完成之前送礼物不好。教师应该做好本职工作，不要奢求家长的任何金钱利益。教育制度要人人平等，不应涉及特殊对待或额外内容。

SDIvester (US): In Massachusetts, and most likely in all the States, it's OK to give a gift to your teacher. However, if the gift costs more than the allowed amount, the teacher cannot accept it.

SDIvester (美国)：在马萨诸塞州以及美国绝大多数地区，向教师送礼可以接受。但礼物价值若超过了规定数额，教师不得接受。

Dutchie76 (Australia): I think it's absolutely ridiculous the amount of money parents seem to be spending on buying presents for teachers. In most companies and organizations you're not allowed to accept personal gifts from clients/customers so why should a teacher be any different? They're only doing their job.

Dutchie76 (澳大利亚)：我认为父母将钱花费在为教师购买礼物上，是非常荒唐透顶了。在绝大多数公司和机构中，不允许接受客户或顾客的私人礼物，为什么教师要与众不同？他们只是在做本职工作。

Tammy (Singapore): It is simply a matter of ethics⁹. If a teacher shows favoritism based on a gift they have received from a student or for any other reason then they need to be reprimanded. The school system should have enough faith in the teachers not to act in such a manner.

Tammy (新加坡)：这只是一个道德问题。如果一名教师因为受到学生的礼物或其他原因而出现了偏袒行为，应当受到谴责。学校制度应该有足够的信心，相信他们的教师不会这样做。