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.