New York Times, Los Angeles Times and U.S.A Today (摘要）: Yes. Simple but inexpensive gifts like Cards or chocolates would serve the goal very well.
And yes. Gifts can easily lead to corruption when educators have the unchecked power to grade the students.
As a wake-up call, I am writing a letter to the nation’s major news papers to discuss the Asian culture of “respecting teachers and gifting teachers”.
Corruption in education is particularly damaging because it endangers a country's social, economic and political future. Corruption in education is more detrimental than corruption in other sectors because of its long-term effects. It threatens equal access, quantity and quality of education.
Its consequences are particularly harsh for the poor who, without access to education or with no alternative but low-quality education, have little chance to escape a life of poverty.
Corruption is incompatible with one of the major aims of education: producing citizens that respect the law and human rights.
If children come to believe that personal effort and merit do not count and that success comes through manipulation, favoritism and bribery, then the very foundations of society are shaken.
Curbing corruption in education requires a similar approach to tackling corruption in other social sectors. Governments should work to increase accountability in educational systems and within the civil service generally. The civil service needs clear recruitment and career-development rules that are based on merit, with simple and clear lines of responsibility. Capacities must be built within institutions so that officials can apply existing regulations. Teachers and civil servants must be adequately paid. Clear sanctions for bribery must coexist with conflict of interest rules and codes of conduct. The administration's political independence and its political commitment against corruption at the highest level are also critical. Another key determinant for successfully battling corruption in education is access to information, for example on resources allocated to schools, and effective complaint mechanisms for students and parents. Finally, civil society should be involved in educational planning and school management, because public participation builds ownership and demand for accountability. 我的萬維博文: | | 美國華裔送老師厚禮，壞了不只是行情，也壞了人心。
作為教師，我對這一類的送禮反感。特別是在彼此還不認識，連我的工作的好 壞都不知道的時候。
請問你們這些家長：
你們期望遇到一位公平的對待每一位同學的老師，還是特殊照顧你們送過禮的孩子的老師？
你們希望孩子們活在這種因為送禮老師而享受到的優越感里嗎？ 你們不怕別人還有更重的禮，然後你的小孩退居N位嗎？ 你們認為孩子們的分數重要還是人品重要？
你們知道我最希望聽到的是一句什麼話嗎？ “因為您，我的兒子/女兒懂得了關愛，正直，勤奮。”
當你們的孩子們從學校，從老師那裡學到這些好品質的時候，你們欣慰嗎？
如果是的話，當你們的孩子們結束了我的教育以後，我樂意接受你們的小禮物。
為人師表，先做人，後育人。
身為學子，分數是一時的，人品才是永久的。 | | | 
