Sky News host Chris Smith has asked why it seems “education boffins” are consistently disconnected from schools and the expectations of parents following attempts to mandate a gift register to avoid student-teacher gifts being perceived as “bribes”.

“The NSW Department of Education is cracking down on students giving Christmas gifts to teachers because it can be perceived to be a bribe,” Mr Smith said.

“As parents, the vast majority of us just cringe and wonder what planet these policymakers are on.”

Mr Smith said if teachers were receiving cash or lavish gifts from families, it was wrong and already illegal under the Education Department Code of Conduct, and did not warrant the introduction of new laws to stop it.

“But the boffins have their new rules, including forcing teachers to declare gifts on a gift register. They’re being treated like gullible politicians,” he said.

“Are teachers really up for sale in disgraceful incidents of corruption, or is this just the faceless departmental boffins again trying to find something to do, flexing their power from their ivory towers?”