When a Teacher’s Worth is Reduced to a Gift Policy

By Desk Editor Published on Sep 2, 2026

Danish Khan

A gift may last for a day. A cake may be eaten in minutes. A photograph may eventually disappear from our phones. But what a teacher places in a student’s mind can remain for a lifetime. That is the respect every teacher deserves.

My heartfelt wishes to every teacher on Teachers’ Day. To every teacher who enters the classroom each morning with patience, responsibility and hope, and to those who continue to teach despite long hours, limited resources and little recognition, may you always receive the respect, dignity, appreciation and support that this noble profession deserves.

Every year, when September arrives, we remember our teachers with messages, greetings and celebrations. But this year, I find myself thinking about something deeper. Are we truly recognising our teachers, or have we become so focused on what should and should not be given to them that we have forgotten what they actually deserve?

There is nothing wrong with a school deciding that gifts should not be exchanged. A policy against expensive gifts can prevent unnecessary pressure on students and parents, and no teacher’s worth should ever be measured by the value of a present. But there is a difference between saying that gifts are not allowed and saying that there is no need to celebrate Teachers’ Day. These are two very different things.

A small cake, a handwritten card, a flower or a few words of gratitude will not make a teacher rich. Nor is that the purpose. Such gestures are about appreciation, not wealth. Sometimes, for a teacher, a simple thank you from a student can carry more meaning than an expensive gift ever could.

We also need to remember the teachers whose struggles rarely become part of public discussion. Many private school teachers work eight, nine, ten or even more hours a day. They teach several classes, prepare lessons, check notebooks, manage students and carry responsibilities that extend far beyond the classroom. Yet some receive remarkably modest salaries for the amount of time and energy they give. They continue because teaching is not merely a job for them. It is a profession they have chosen and a responsibility they have accepted.

Teaching is not easy. A teacher enters a classroom with students who come from different families, different circumstances and different levels of understanding. They are expected not only to teach a subject but also to guide, encourage, correct and sometimes simply listen. They may be dealing with their own struggles, yet they still stand before their students and give them their best.

This is why our discussion about Teachers’ Day should go beyond the question of gifts. If a school wants to maintain a strict no gift policy, that decision can be respected. But appreciation should not disappear along with the gifts. Students should still be allowed to express gratitude. A simple celebration, a card prepared by students, a few words on a stage or a moment of acknowledgement does not diminish the dignity of education. It strengthens it.

Perhaps this is also an opportunity to look honestly at how society treats teachers. We often call them the builders of a nation in speeches, but how often do we stop to think about what that phrase really means? Every doctor, engineer, lawyer, scientist, officer, entrepreneur and professional once had a teacher who helped them take their first steps. Even the person who eventually becomes a teacher was once a student sitting in somebody else’s classroom.

A teacher may never know how far their influence will travel. A sentence spoken years ago may give a student courage at a difficult moment. A little encouragement may change someone’s confidence. A lesson may remain in someone’s mind long after the textbook has been forgotten. This is the quiet power of teaching.

Therefore, Teachers’ Day should not become a debate only about cakes, flowers or gifts. It should be a day when we pause and look at the people behind the profession. We should think about their patience, their sacrifices, their working conditions and their contribution to society.

Let us teach students that appreciation does not need to be expensive. Let schools maintain whatever policies they believe are appropriate, while still creating space for gratitude. Let society understand that respecting teachers means much more than sharing a quotation about them once a year.

This 5th September, I wish every teacher a meaningful and memorable Teachers’ Day. To the teacher who receives a grand celebration and to the teacher whose work goes unnoticed, to the experienced educator and the young teacher taking their first steps, your contribution matters.

You may not always see the results of your work, but somewhere, someone is living a better life because you taught them, guided them or believed in them.

A gift may last for a day. A cake may be eaten in minutes. A photograph may eventually disappear from our phones.

But what a teacher places in a student’s mind can remain for a lifetime. That is the respect every teacher deserves.

Author is a Teacher / Writer/ Public Servent from Bathnoor Tral . He can be mailed at khandanishashraf506@gmail.com