Parents Asked to Pay for Teachers' Banquet: Director Calls It an Ethics Issue
A complaint has emerged about parents being pressured to fund a banquet for teachers. Andris Priekulis, director of Riga State 3rd Gymnasium, calls the practice a sensitive ethical matter.
As graduation season approaches, the issue of collecting money from parents for gifts and treats for teachers has resurfaced. A viewer of the TV24 program “On the Line” reported that at one school, parents were asked to contribute several hundred euros to cover the cost of a teachers' banquet.
Andris Priekulis, the director of Riga State 3rd Gymnasium, described such practices as a highly sensitive ethical question. He emphasized that the school itself should not be the one initiating such fundraising. At his gymnasium, there is a support society where parents can voluntarily donate, but teachers do not ask for money for their own celebrations.
Priekulis revealed that about three or four years ago, the school decided to abandon this practice precisely for ethical reasons. “A teacher should not be the one who raises this issue,” he added.
However, the director acknowledged that sometimes the initiative comes from the parents themselves. In such cases, the administration recommends first consulting all parents. An acceptable solution would be a symbolic treat, such as a pastry with coffee.
He also noted that graduation days are often very hectic for teachers. In large schools, multiple ceremonies take place in a single day. “We often have three graduations in one day. In between, a teacher may drink coffee, eat a sandwich or a pie,” Priekulis said.
